


The Ballad of James and Leonard

by neko_fish



Series: The Ballad Series [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: 1890s, Alternate Universe - Historical, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-31
Updated: 2013-02-06
Packaged: 2017-11-27 15:16:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 40,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/663479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neko_fish/pseuds/neko_fish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 1893, a blue-eyed stranger barged into McCoy's clinic with a woman in his arms, desperate for help. For Leonard, there was just no going back after that. (The prequel/sequel of 'The Ballad of Jim and Bones' but works as a standalone.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A billion thanks to castofone for beta-ing this!

Chapter 1:  
  
It was a quiet day, one much like any other.   
  
Leonard was working in his modest little clinic when a blond burst in with a woman in his arms. The stranger’s large blue eyes left him dumbstruck him for a moment before he realized that the woman was going into labor. The man stared at him desperately, eyes wide with fear, as the woman groaned weakly. “Are you a doctor? She suddenly collapsed on the street and you didn’t have a ‘ _Whites Only_ ’ sign on your door or anything. Oh god, please, you have to help her!”  
  
With no time to be offended by the comment, Leonard took the woman from his arms into his and hurried into his office. “Christine, we have a woman going into labour!” Laying her down on the examination table, he looked her in the eyes and reassured her as calmly as he could, “It’s alright, darlin’. What’s your name? …Mary? Well, Miss Mary, we going to help you deliver your baby, alright? Have you given birth before? No? Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright. Just breathe.”  
  
His head nurse, Christine Chapel, quickly returned to the room with a variety of equipment. “How is she, Leonard?”  
  
“Can’t tell yet.” Hazel eyes glanced over at the man standing at the door. “Dammit, take him to the waiting room or something, would you?”  
  
Chapel nodded and quickly walked over to escort the blond back out to the room, he could hear her reassurances even after she left his sight.   
  
After a couple hours, he frowned. There were no signs of contractions though the woman was still groaning. Cursing under his breath, he looked over at his nurse. “I think we’re going to have to do a Caesarean section, could you bring the anesthesia?” Turning back to his patient, he explained to her as calmly as he could, “Your baby’s not coming out on its own so we’re going to help you get it out, okay? Don’t worry, I’ve done this before. You’ll be fine, darlin’. We’re going to let you sleep through the worst parts. You’ll be okay.”  
  
\--  
  
After another couple hours, they finally finished birthing the child and cleaned everything up when the woman finally came to. He watched as his nurse handed her the baby with a smile and congratulated her on her new baby boy. With tears in her eyes, the woman reached out for the child and held him close, thanking them. The two of them nodded and left the room to give her some privacy.  
  
When he reached the waiting room, he was surprised to see the man still waiting there, feet tapping anxiously against the leg of the chair. Motioning at the man with the tilt of his head, Chapel nodded and went to fetch them a drink as Leonard strolled out. “Still here?”  
  
The blonde’s head snapped up at the sound of his voice. “Is she going to be alright?”  
  
He nodded reassuringly. “She’ll be absolutely fine. Had to go through a Caesarean, but she’ll be just fine after a couple days of rest. Are you her…?”  
  
Quickly shaking his head, the man managed to smile weakly. “No, I just randomly came across her on the streets. No one helped her so I panicked and swooped in.” Then his eyes widened. “Wait, she needed a  _Caesarean section_? Don’t most people die from those?”  
  
Leonard shrugged. “In other places maybe. I don’t normally have to perform them here, but I haven’t lost anyone to one yet. Let’s not jinx it.”  
  
“You must be an awfully good doctor then. My name’s James, just James.”  
  
“Just James,” he repeated incredulously.  
  
The blond laughed and nodded. “Yeah, just James. I lost my surname somewhere in one of the last states I travelled through.”  
  
He raised a brow and held his hand out. “McCoy, Leonard McCoy. And my head nurse, Christine Chapel.”  
  
Blue eyes twinkled as he accepted the cup from the nurse. “Thank you, ma’am.”  
  
Scowling lightly, he warned, “Don’t you go flirting with her now, Just James. She’s an engaged woman.”  
  
James grinned ruefully. “I’ll do my best to keep that in mind. So, doctor, I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have a sign anywhere like all the other places do. Not playing along with the Jim Crow laws here, eh?”  
  
The doctor rolled his eyes and let out a low growl. “I’m a doctor, not a conformist. The idea of doctors is that they heal people. And people are still people regardless of appearance. To believe otherwise is just utter idiocy. Everyone who works at this clinic hold the same belief. And if you’ve got a problem with it, you might as well show yourself to the door now.”  
  
Laughing easily, the blond watched him with interest. “I think I like you, doc. We could be good friends, you and me.” Getting up from his seat, he handed the empty cup back to Chapel. “Thanks a lot for the drink, and for helping the lady. If you’d like, I can go and tell her family her situation. Maybe they can bring her some of her necessities and whatnot. May I see her and ask if I can?”  
  
Leonard nodded, a little impressed by the man’s thoughtfulness. “Go right ahead. I’m sure she’ll be wanting to thank you for getting her here. Go on, then. It’s rude to keep a lady waiting.”  
  
“Yes, sir!” Giving a mock salute, he disappeared into the room.  
  
\--  
  
Later that day, he was pleased to see the woman’s husband sitting in the waiting room, albeit a little hesitantly. When Leonard stepped out from his office, finished with his latest appointment, the man looked at him and quickly stood up, wringing his hat nervously in his hands. “…are you Doctor McCoy?”  
  
He nodded. “That’d be me. Are you Mary’s family?”  
  
“Yes, her husband, sir. You see, I came home from work earlier today to find a man sitting in front of my place, waiting for me. He told me my wife gave birth here. Can I see her?”  
  
Leonard’s eyebrow shot up at the thought of James loitering around in front of the man’s house. Did the blond have nothing better to do than to wait for a woman to give birth then for her husband to get off work?   
  
Nodding again, he led the man to the room the woman was resting in. “Of course you can. Come on this way, she’s just resting. She had to have a Caesarean so she’ll have to stay here for a few more days, just to make sure everything heals properly. But she made it through just fine. There’s no need to worry. We have staff here at all times.”  
  
Tears welling in his eyes, the man bowed his head. “Thank you, doctor. I don’t know how to repay you.”  
  
He shook his head and waved offhandedly. “Worry about that later, man. Right now, just go see your wife and child. Congratulations on becoming a father.”  
  
\--  
  
A couple hours after that, he was a little less pleased and a lot more skeptical when James appeared at the clinic again, bouncing on the ball of his heel and a carefree grin on his lips. He raised a brow and drawled sarcastically, “What? No woman in labour this time?”  
  
The blond shook his head. “Nope, just wondering when you’re finished for the day. I was hoping to treat you to a drink of your choice for your heroic feat today.”  
  
“Heroic feat? I’m a doctor, not a hero. I was just doing what I was trained to do. That’s no amazing feat.”  
  
James protested with a frown. “Not to you, maybe, but I’m sure that there are other doctors here who would’ve turned me away without a second glance. It was damn heroic to me what you did, especially since you went and performed a successful Caesarean and made it sound as easy as eating pie, so let me get you a drink, would you?”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes, trying to suppress the blush threatening to rise at the compliment. “Fine, I’ll go! It looks like it’s almost time for Geoff to get here for evening shift anyways. I’ll even jump in front of a train if it’ll get you to shut that damn mouth of yours.”  
  
The other man laughed. “No need to do that now, doc. Just let me spend some money on you. I like to celebrate great people.”  
  
“Sweet talking thing, aren’t you? You must be a hit with the ladies.”  
  
The blond shot him a lazy grin. “Well, I hate to brag but-”  
  
“Bullshit. I bet you love talking about yourself as much as children love sweets.”  
  
“Sharp one, aren’t you? Fine, I concede, you caught me. I love bragging about myself almost as much as I love talking about how amazing you were today.”  
  
Unsure of how to react to the flirtatious man, Leonard could only breathe a sigh of relief when M’Benga appeared through the front door, looking slightly confused at the blonde’s presence. “What’s happening? Is there something I should know about, Leonard?”  
  
“Not now, Geoff. This is just James. He brought in a woman in labour earlier, she’s resting in room 2 right now and her husband is here. She had a Caesarean, so you’ll have to keep a closer eye on her. I’ll be back tomorrow.” The brunet shook his head, not wanting to deal with any questions he couldn’t answer. Walking to the back to grab his coat, the doctor returned to the waiting room and smacked James on the arm. “So what are you waiting for? Are we going or what? Now hurry up before I change my mind.”  
  
Wordlessly, James followed him back out onto the street and towards his usual pub. Once seated, Leonard ordered bourbon while James had a beer. “You officially have the most amazing clinic in the state.” The blond raised his bottle slightly and grinned. “A toast to my newfound hero, Doctor Leonard McCoy. I plan on worshipping you and singing praises to your name for the rest of both our lives.”  
  
Leonard scowled. “I still don’t get what the hype is, kid. At my clinic, we fix people that need fixing; that’s all. If a person’s well enough to refuse treatment, then they obviously don’t have a dire need for our help and are perfectly capable of finding another clinic themselves.”  
  
James looked impressed. “A genius  _and_  modest? Now I’ve seen everything. You’re really something else, doc.”  
  
“And you’re about seven kinds of stupid, kid.”  
  
The blond laughed and held his beer up. “I’ll drink to that.” After a moment of comfortable silence, he looked over idly. “So your nurse is engaged, hmm?”  
  
The doctor nodded. “That’s right, so don’t even think about it or I’ll kick your ass out of town so fast you won’t even have time to blink.”  
  
“That’s awfully fast. What about you then? You a married man, doc?”  
  
He snorted scornfully and ordered another glass. “I  _was_. At one point in my life, I was. Even have an angel of a baby girl to prove it.” Then he took a swig of his drink, “The ex-wife took all of Savannah in the divorce and then some. Got my house, my daughter, everything. All I’ve got left is my bones.”  
  
James listened attentively as he spoke. “All of Savannah? How’d she manage that?”  
  
“Some time after my old man died, I caught her cheating on me with her old sweetheart, a high and mighty ambassador. Then before I knew it, we were divorced and they’d turned the entire place on me so I ran. The only consolation I got was that I’m still allowed to see Joanna and I can write her as often as I want. I even get to call her sometimes. She just turned six this year. I managed to crawl over to Atlanta and started a little clinic with Phil, Christine and Geoff’s help.”  
  
Blue eyes stared at his drink for a moment before speaking decisively, “If I’m seven kinds of stupid, then your ex must’ve been at least eight.”  
  
Leonard took another sip. “Why? For falling for some diplomatic sweet talker?”  
  
“No. For leaving a man like you,” the blond stated easily.  
  
At this, he rolled his eyes. “Really? And what would you know about that? You just met me today and I was helping that woman deliver her baby for most of that time.”  
  
The younger man nodded in agreement. “I might’ve only met you today, but so far, I know that you’re an excellent doctor and sawbones even though you deny it, and you’d help anyone in need regardless of appearance. You get defensive when people question the ethics of treating all people fairly. You’re a bit of a grouch, but you make up for it by being a good person. And as of right now, I know you really like your whiskey, and not the cheap stuff either. You lived in Savannah at one point but after the divorce, you came up here and started a clinic with a bunch of people who are now your closest friends, and you love your daughter more than anything in the world. So how’d I do, doc?”  
  
Hazel eyes narrowed. “Don’t look so smug.”  
  
“I have to know this stuff. I was serious when I said I was going to worship you forever.”  
  
“You’d be wasting your time.”  
  
The blond shrugged. “If I went to your clinic and asked your staff or any of the patients you’ve helped, I doubt they’d agree with your assessment. If you’d like, I could get on the ground and start bowing to you right now.”  
  
Leonard couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t be stupid and get me another glass already.”  
  
In the back of his mind, he told himself that this James figure was going to be nothing but trouble.  
  
And he wasn’t wrong.  
  
\--  
  
There was no telling how long they stayed in that bar or how they managed to amble their way through the streets without getting killed. All Leonard knew was that when he woke up in his little apartment, he was mostly dressed and somehow half in bed and half on the floor while James was mostly in bed and partly draped over him. Rolling the rest of the way down onto the floor, he sat up with a groan at his massive hangover and the taste of alcohol lingering in his parched mouth.  _‘Hello body, I hate me too.’_  Reaching over to check the vital signs of the blond, he was satisfied when he found him breathing and alive.  
  
Finally willing himself up, he looked around his apartment, glad to see it vomit-free. Then he looked at the clock and cursed under his breath, mindful not to wake the sleeping man up. Making his way to the bathroom to freshen up, he shucked off his suit and put on a fresh one before dragging his feet out the door. On his way to work, he recalled snippets of the previous night when the two of them were clinging to each other, trying to keep their balance as they stumbled through the streets.  
  
  
_James leaned heavily against him as they walked. “I’m serious! I’m going to worship you forever because you’re really amazing, doc! So many people around here are…bad! They’re just not nice! Everyone should be treated nicely!”  
  
The doctor scowled. “Shut your face and call me Leonard!”  
  
“I get to call you Leonard now? Does that mean we’re friends now?”  
  
“Yeah, sure, why the hell not, Just James?”  
  
More drunken laughter.  
  
“I’m just James, not Just James…I mean…just James, not James…wait, that’s not right. I’m James, just James! And now you’re Leonard! See? I told you we’d be good friends! And as your new best friend, I get to tell you that your ex-wife is a bitch!”  
  
“Amen to that! Where are we going, Just James?”  
  
The blond shook his head. “I don’t know…I’ve been sleeping in the stables with my horse. She’s the best horse in the world! What about you? Do you do that too, Leonard?”  
  
“I’m a doctor, not a horse! I live in a  **doctor’s**  place,” he announced.  
  
James stared at him. “A doctor’s place? Isn’t that where you give birth? It looks painful!”  
  
“No, it’s this place over here…” Leonard blinked and looked again at his apartment building in surprise. “Hey, look, we’re home! Come on in, I refuse to let you sleep like a horse, Just James!”  
  
Allowing himself to be pulled through the doors, the blond protested loudly. “It’s not Just James! Are you going to operate on me? Can I tell you a secret? I really don’t like needles or medicine, Leonard. I don’t need an operation, do I? Doctors scare me – except you, of course.”  
  
Leonard missed the other man’s mouth and ended up clamping a hand over the man’s cheek instead. “Shut up, you damn infant! People are sleeping! And you don’t need an operation! Right now, we’re just going to go to sleep and then we’ll hate ourselves in the morning.”  
  
The blond hugged him and shook his head. “I’d never hate you, Leonard. You’re amazing! You’re just about everything I want to be!”   
  
“What? A drunk, angry divorced doctor?”  
  
“No, a brave, talented and very handsome doctor who’s respected enough to get people to follow his lead and stuff. Though the angry doctor part’s pretty nice too. And the drunk part. I like you drunk. Man…I haven’t been with anyone for so long now…”   
  
“I bet you’re a real ladies’ man.”  
  
“Sure was. Never had to find myself an inn, I was so good. But I don’t do that anymore. Fathers and husbands didn’t like me very much. I don’t know why. Hey, Leonard? Do I get to sleep in your bed with you tonight?”  
  
“Sure, why the hell not, Just James?”  
  
“Really!?  **Yes!**  I just fulfilled the American Dream!”  
  
Then there was a long pause as the two stood at the bottom of the staircase and looked up.  
  
“Well,  **fuck** …”_  
  
  
Leonard groaned and covered his eyes with his hand as he continued down the street. He wanted nothing more than to find a corner and hide until the nausea and embarrassment disappeared. Hopefully, James will have left town by the time he got off work, then he can slowly pick up the pieces of his dignity and try to piece it all back together into something presentable.  
  
Stepping into the clinic, Chapel immediately greeted him with a smile. “Good morning, Leonard. It’s rare for you to be late like this. My, you look like you’ve had a long night. Did you have fun with Just James?”  
  
He shook his head miserably, trying not to think about last night. “Please, let’s not talk about it. It’s way too bright out today. Who the hell decided that having a sun in the sky was a good idea? God, I hate myself right now. I’m too old to be drinking like this.”   
  
“If you keep saying things like that, one of these days, you’ll actually believe it. You’re not even 30 yet.”  
  
Ignoring her, the doctor asked, “How’s the patient doing?”  
  
Calmly, she made her way to their staff room. “She’s doing mighty well compared to you right now. Let me go make you some tea.”  
  
“Thank you, you’re a real peach, darlin’.”  
  
“Have you eaten anything yet, Leonard?”  
  
“No, I woke up about 5 minutes ago.”  
  
“I’ll go get a bowl of soup for you in a little bit then.”  
  
He heaved a sigh, grateful for her assistance. “An absolute saint, that’s what you are. What would I be without you, Christine?”  
  
She smiled easily. “You’d still be a great doctor, just with a really bad hangover.”  
  
\--  
  
Much to his dismay, James dropped by later that day, sunny grin only slightly tarnished by his own obvious hangover and the mild bruise on his face. He paid the woman and her new child a visit. Then he stayed in the waiting room until he saw Leonard. “Hello, Leonard. How are you feeling? I woke up this morning and couldn’t find you so I figured you were probably at work. I would’ve come by earlier but it took awhile to get myself out of bed. You have a very comfortable bed, by the way. It’s a shame that we broke it. And then I had to go feed Enterprise, my horse, and get breakfast. I found a really good place if you’re hungry. I can buy something and bring it back. What time are you off today?”  
  
Leonard shook his head, trying to process everything that just came out of the man’s mouth, mildly horrified that James seemed to remember more than he did. “It’s fine, Christine got me soup awhile ago. Just go keep yourself busy till later. I’m here until nine today. We’re not drinking again - ever again.”  
  
The blonde’s eyes widened at the very thought of it. “No, definitely not. Maybe I’ll wait for you to eat dinner then.”  
  
Waving him off, he nodded, only half listening. “Sure. I’ll see you later.”  
  
“See you later then, Leonard.”  
  
After James took off, Chapel turned to him, eyebrow raised. “Should I be alarmed? Is there something you’d like to tell me, Leonard? What’s this I’m hearing about a broken bed?”  
  
In the back of his mind, he realized that that was how he had managed to be half on the mattress and half on the floor at the same time that morning. “Not what it sounds like. I don’t actually know or remember. We were really drunk and he slept at my place, that’s all. Nothing happened. Now hush up before people hear you.”  
  
He figured the ‘we were really drunk’ part explained pretty much everything.   
  
“And the dinner after work part?”  
  
“Huh? Is that what I just agreed to?”   
  
Chapel nodded, and just then, he remembered more of last night’s incident when they attempted to conquer the stairs.  
  
  
_James had tripped up the first step and rolled onto his back with a groan. “Can we just sleep here tonight? I think I just hurt myself. Fix me, Leonard.”  
  
“That’s probably going to bruise tomorrow. But stop being such an infant. A little suffering’s food for the soul…” He furrowed his brows. “Wait, that’s not right. It’s  **good**  for the soul.”  
  
The blond sighed and heaved himself back up. “Okay, fine…let’s go then.”  
  
Then a minute later, Leonard groaned and slurred drunkenly in defeat, “It’s too much, I can’t do it! Just take my keys and go on without me. Who the  **fuck**  decided to put these stairs here anyways?”  
  
Next to him, the blond looked very engrossed in the task of pulling both of them up one step at a time. “No way in hell will I leave you behind, Leonard! I just met you, don’t you dare leave me already! We’re going to get through this together! I need to worship you forever, remember? There’s no such thing as a no-win situation!”  
  
Somewhere, someone yelled at them to shut up.  
  
“You’re a good man, Just James.”  
  
“Not really, but I’m trying. Come on, let’s hurry up, Leonard. I really need to take a piss.”_  
  
  
Leonard groaned. “Christine, would you be so kind as to get a scalpel and lodge it deep into my ear? Then go and tell James that I won’t be able to make it to dinner on the account that I died.”  
  
“I’m afraid that’d go against our code of ethics, Leonard,” the nurse replied easily. “More memories from last night? It must’ve been really bad – or good, depending on how you look at it. Even your ears are turning red.”  
  
“I’m so embarrassed I just want to curl up and die…”  
  
“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s unbecoming for a man of your status.”  
  
“My status? A drunken wreck of a doctor?”  
  
“So what happened?”  
  
“Stairs happened.”  
  
The woman looked too amused to be of any comfort. “One of these days, after you’ve regained all your memories, broken bed and all, I’ll wring the entire story from you, Leonard. And that’s a promise.”  
  
\--  
  
Later that day, he remembered more as he was finishing up with one of his regular patients.  
  
  
_They were standing at his door while he fumbled to unlock it. When the door finally swung open, James grinned knowingly. “I told you so! You’re amazing, Leonard.”  
  
“Stop saying that. I just opened a door-” The blond cut him off with a kiss. Drunk and confused, he asked, “…what was that?”  
  
The blond smiled drunkenly. “Me worshipping you? Can I do it some more? …is it even allowed here or will we get into trouble?”  
  
“I don’t know and I don’t care. We’re breaking the law everyday by helping people apparently. Laws are stupid! So it’s okay, I give you permission to worship away if that’s how you do it…but only after we get inside because my neighbours will probably get very upset at us. And I need to get myself a glass of water. Then the worshipping can continue,” Leonard announced as he stepped inside. Taking his jacket off, he carelessly threw it somewhere then proceeded to take his shoes off.  
  
James perked up at the mention of water. “Oh, that’s right, I need to use the bathroom, don’t I? I think I still need to use it…let me go check. I’ll worship you after.”  
  
“Sure.” Not even pretending to listen, the brunet ambled into the kitchen.  
  
Then somehow, before he could locate the cups, the blond came stumbling back and draped himself over the doctor, littering the back of his neck with kisses. “I’m back! You have a nice place here, Leonard. Is it sleep time now?”  
  
“Sleep time? That sounds nice.” With the both of them completely forgetting their original goals, Leonard dragged the both of them into the bedroom with a lot of difficulty and threw the both of them onto the bed which then collapsed under the weight. Too drunk to notice the sudden decline in elevation, he closed his eyes and passed out._  
  
  
Leonard’s face heated up and his patient looked at him worriedly. “Are you alright, doctor? You’re looking awfully flushed. Should I call for your nurse?”  
  
“No, I’m fine, really. Pay me no heed,” he managed to squeak as he made his way to the door, leaning against the frame for support. “Please excuse me for a minute. I need to go and find a lake to drown myself in.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:   
  
James ended up staying at Leonard’s place for the next few days which then turned into weeks. He wasn’t a complete freeloader though, since he took up odd jobs here and there for money. It took awhile for Leonard to be able to make eye contact with the man again after that first drunken night, but the blond turned out to be a stubborn one. They ate their meals together whenever their schedules matched and shared his (broken) bed since James was still technically homeless and Leonard wasn’t going to make him sleep in the stables. All his neighbours now thought he was an alcoholic hooligan, but he could live with that.   
  
During his free time, the blond got to know the staff at the clinic quite well, charming them with his baby blue eyes and easy smile. And as promised, Chapel did eventually manage to get the entire story of their drunken adventure out of them. Even M’Benga came to like the blond after the initial wave of shock and confusion.  
  
Leonard had known Doctor Geoff M’Benga for years now. He first heard about the man in a letter from Phil Boyce, describing a ‘nomadic but very skillful doctor who helped people at random and would leave immediately afterwards.’ Curious and impressed, he ventured over to Atlanta to track down this mysterious doctor who helped everyone at the risk of his own life. Leonard managed to find M’Benga; they talked and debated how to improve current medical practices, and became fast friends. Then after his divorce, Geoff was there along with Phil and Christine to help him get back on his feet (literally. His legs shook so badly after that train ride that he had trouble walking in a straight line. Damn unnatural things.).   
  
\--  
  
_After they got the clinic up and running, M’Benga was ready leave until Leonard grabbed him by the arm and shoved a new stethoscope into his hands. “And just where do you think **you’re**  going, Geoff? You’re staying here and working with me. You helped start this clinic so don’t think you can just run off.”  
  
“Leonard, I’m honoured, but I don’t think I should. It won’t sit well with a lot of people.”  
  
“Who cares about them? If people really need help, they’ll come. Besides, I need a doctor to help me out here. Good god, man, you have an MD. You might as well work in an actual medical setting instead of wandering around like a vagabond. Look, as long as you’re in it to help people, then this clinic is the place for you. You’re not going anywhere.”  
  
Geoff looked unconvinced. “It’s going to cause you a lot more trouble than you need right now.”  
  
The brunet shrugged nonchalantly. “Then let trouble come. We can see how well it fares against my scalpel.”  
  
\--  
  
A week later, the mayor of Atlanta hailed him to his office.  
  
Sitting in his big, leather chair, the mayor was well past his prime. He looked a little uneasy bringing the topic of discussion up. “Doctor McCoy, it’s an honour having you open up a clinic in Atlanta. But I’m afraid we’ve been receiving complaints about the staff.”  
  
Leonard could feel his temper flare and he raised a brow in clear annoyance. “Oh? And what about my staff? I don’t recall hearing any reports about malpractice or misconduct.”  
  
The mayor immediately shook his head in fear of offending the doctor any further. “No, no, of course not! There’s been nothing of the sort, Doctor McCoy! I can assure you! But might I suggest that you replace certain members of your staff?”  
  
With calmness he didn’t actually feel, the brunet crossed his arms and frowned. “Actually, no. I’m afraid you may not. If I find one of my staff members doing anything I deem to be inappropriate, then I’ll consider replacing them. But these are the best medical staff you have in the city, sir, so I suggest you think twice before asking me to remove any one of them as they might end up saving your life one day. And if we’re not welcomed here, then we’d be more than happy to pack up and move on over to the next town.”  
  
\--  
  
Later that day, the doctor stepped into the clinic for his shift and announced to his friend, “Geoff, I had a nice little talk with the mayor today. Basically, I told him that you’re an invaluable doctor who’s an asset to the city.” He paused and added, “And I may have also told him that if he doesn’t like it, then he can go shove it where the sun don’t shine. So you better go on and prove me right or we’ll both just look silly.”  
  
The two of them ended up saving the lives of the mayor’s family a week later. And ever since then, the city had no choice but to begrudgingly accept their little clinic._  
  
\--  
  
Before Leonard knew what was happening, James went from being a complete stranger to a friend and room/bedmate all within the course of a week. And if asked (only Chapel would really ask), he’d blush furiously and deny being anything more. Despite all this, Leonard realized that he didn’t actually know all that much about the man other than the fact that he had a horse named Enterprise.   
  
So one night, over dinner in his little apartment that was too small for two people, he asked bluntly, “So why are you Just James? Come on, just spit it out already. Who exactly are you?”  
  
James froze and stared at him for a moment before starting slowly, “Well, I guess I should start at the beginning. My name is James – I wasn’t lying about that. I promise. I come from a small family in Iowa, and we used to travel a lot because of my father’s job. He was a real brave man, lived through the war and then died for his cause afterwards. It was so meaningless. You know what he did? He stood up for an elderly woman and was killed for it. They never told me how he died, but I knew he was killed. I was probably around ten at the time.   
  
“Then a couple years after that, my brother, Sam, decided to take the same route as my dad and got himself killed for it. Except, unlike my dad, I was there to watch my brother die by the hands of people who didn’t quite believe in the same things he did. He was only 16 at the time. My mother grew despondent after that, she probably never realized that I left town, that’s how bad it’s gotten for her. To this day, I’m still not sure whether she thinks of the two of them as brave or stupid, probably both. But anyways, after I got old enough to leave town on my own with Enterprise, I left and never looked back.”  
  
For a long moment, Leonard sat there, unsure of how to respond to such a harrowing story. While he wanted to be sympathetic, he also knew that the blond probably wouldn’t react well to such a reaction. In the end, he settled for raising a brow and asking, “Why’d you take a horse? Why not a train – as unnatural as they are? We have those now, you know?”  
  
Blue eyes blinked, a flash of relief running through them. “I love my Enterprise! She’s the best horse in the world! Besides, everyone knows that horses are more exciting and reliable than trains. Come on, Leonard, where’s your sense of adventure?”  
  
Straight-faced and unimpressed, he replied, “I must’ve left it at the bottom of the stairs along with my self-respect. Or maybe it was crushed underneath my broken bed.”  
  
The blond laughed, making the corner of his eyes crinkle. The somber mood lightened somewhat. “You’ll find it again someday, Leonard. So anyways, I left and everything was going fine, I was just going from state to state aimlessly really. And the whole time, I carried my surname with me proudly because unlike my mother who was too lost in her grief to give a damn, I was proud of my father and my brother’s ideals. I believed in them, still do. But then one day, I see this little boy getting beaten on the streets and instead of going in and helping like I should’ve, I remembered what’d happened to my father and Sam. Long story short, I got scared, walked away, and fled the town as soon as I could.  
  
“It ate away at me all the way to the next city. So I thought ‘fuck it. I’ll do something next time.’ And the next day, I saw this lady trip and fall. It wasn’t even part of my grand ‘I’ll do something’ plan and it didn’t occur to me that helping a woman up would be a big deal. I thought it was common courtesy, so I went and helped her. Turns out though, that that was my ‘next time’ and it caught me completely off guard. And by ‘it’, I mean the guys that saw me and decided to share what they thought of it with their fists. Upon retrospect, it probably didn’t help that I called one of them ‘cupcake’ and fought back.”  
  
The blond sighed as he finished his tale. “All I could think about after was what an idiot I was for doing what I did. Don’t get me wrong. I was doing the right thing. I still believe that. But I couldn’t stop shaking. I hid at the stables for a week after that before leaving as fast as I could. Like how you dropped your sense of adventure at the bottom of the stairs, I left my last name behind in the stables.”  
  
“So you’re not a criminal?” Leonard tried to tone down the relief in his voice to no avail.  
  
“You had no idea whether or not I was a criminal but you let me stay here with you anyways? You really are something else, Leonard.” James laughed and shook his head. “But no, I’m not an outlaw, just a coward.”  
  
The brunet reached over and flicked the blonde’s forehead affectionately. “Don’t be stupid, boy. You must’ve only been a kid at the time – hell, you’re  _still_  just a kid. And after what happened to you and your family, of course you’d be scared. Not very many people would’ve done anything in any of the situations you went through.”  
  
“ _You_  would’ve gone in to help that boy and that woman regardless of consequence.”   
  
It was a statement, not a question.  
  
Leonard shrugged, unable to deny it. He couldn’t even imagine just standing around passively. “I’m a doctor. It’s my job to help people. That doesn’t mean I’m brave.”  
  
“But you are!” the other man protested immediately. “Every single one of you at the clinic is brave! I know you’re not stupid, Leonard. You know exactly how dangerous it is to run a clinic that’s open to the general public around these parts, and for your staff to work the way they do - to be who they are! I’ve seen a couple of the letters you guys get. You guys risk your lives every day to help people. Just yesterday, I watched Christine stitch up you up because some idiot didn’t like one of your patients!”  
  
Instinctively reaching up to run his fingers over the stitches, the brunet smiled dryly. “Hazard of the occupation I guess. It’s not like they’ll get rid of us permanently anytime soon though. The mayor has no choice but to be on our side after what we did for him. Besides, our titles as being the best medical professionals in the city do earn us some immunity.”  
  
Bewildered blue eyes studied him earnestly. “But why do it at all? Why risk telling the mayor off – yes, Geoff told me all about it. But why risk your own health and safety for people? For strangers?”  
  
“I don’t have a particularly deep answer for you. It’s because I’m a doctor. And I think it’s something all doctors should practice: practicing without prejudice, respecting all human life. My old man was a doctor too and he passed his principles down to me just like yours did. Apparently, they used to have this oath back in the day when he was practicing, but it’s disappeared somewhere. I hope doctors will live by it again someday. That’s the world I want my daughter to live in. But for now, even if it’s just our clinic that practices it, it’s a start. But I digress. I don’t think you should keep punishing yourself because of something that happened in the past.”   
  
Leonard knew even as the words came out of his mouth that he was being a hypocrite, but the blond didn’t need to know that.  
  
James shrugged offhandedly. “But the thing is, that last name carries with it the ideals my father and brother were willing to die for. You have to be really brave to be worthy of carrying a name like that. It’s a heavy load that I’m not ready to carry yet. On the day I met you, I stood there for the longest time, wishing that someone else would bring that lady to a doctor. But no one even looked at her. So I grabbed her and ran as fast as I could to your clinic. You have no idea how terrified I was, thinking that someone might see me. And to be perfectly honest, if you’d sent me off, I might’ve just left her there. I’m not as brave or respectable as I want to be yet – at least not enough to use the same surname as my father and Sam. So until I get there, I don’t mind being just James.”  
  
He snorted. “By then, you’ll be glorified to Just James, with a capital J.”  
  
The blond chuckled. “That wouldn’t be half bad, actually. Just James…then you could be Righteous Leonard or Ethical McCoy. And just to weigh in on your doctor’s code idea, I think it’d be a great idea. A world where all doctors thought like you…now there’s an interesting thought. If they were just as brilliant, no one would ever have to die from diseases again. And if they all  _looked_  like you, then we’d also have no shortage of volunteer nurses.”  
  
The doctor scowled, willing his face not to heat up at the compliments. “Flattery will get you nowhere. And what about you? What’s  _your_  big dream, Just James?”  
  
“Me? Aside from being Just James with a capital J and seeing a world full of Leonards running around helping people?” The blond hesitated though he tried to pass it off with a careless grin. “I think I’d just like a place where everyone can be human. Kind of like at your clinic…somewhere where people can come from all over the world and treat each other with respect and be treated with respect in return, regardless of background. Even if it’s just a town or a small settlement, I’d like to see it.”  
  
Leonard nodded in approval, knowing that sharing his dreams didn’t come easily to the other man. “That sounds like a mighty fine dream to me. I’d like to see it someday, too. So are you going to go around recruiting people for your little town?”  
  
James shrugged, visibly more relaxed. “That’s the idea, or it was. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. At first, I wasn’t sure what kind of people I was looking for really, or if anyone would even buy into the idea. But then I met you, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that day ever since.”  
  
He was taken aback by the earnestness in the other’s voice. “What do you mean?”  
  
“I had absolutely no expectations when I came here. But then when I went to you with that woman and you took her in without any protest, I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this guy’s amazing!’ And then you even went so far as to defend her and your actions when I asked you about it. That’s when I thought, ‘I found him. I found the guy. This is the guy I’ll be able to change the world with.’” Then James added softly, sincerely, “You gave me a lot of hope, doc.”  
  
Feeling more wary now, he asked, “Wait, what are you trying to say?”  
  
“Leonard, would you like to go find your sense of adventure from the bottom of the stairs and come with me?”  
  
Hazel eyes widened. Suddenly, Leonard was unsure whether or not he could handle so much responsibility. He could deal with having people’s lives in his hands just fine, but when it came to something as personal as people’s dreams…he hesitated. “Look, I’m really flattered, James. But I’m a simple country doctor, not an adventurer. And I have the clinic to think about. And besides, you should probably find someone else with more experience. I know a couple guys who could help you. Piper would probably be happy to join your cause.”  
  
The blond shook his head and grinned reassuringly. “You’ll be fine, Leonard! You’re going to be the best doctor in the entire country! I wouldn’t have picked you otherwise! Just trust me on this!”   
  
“You have a lot more faith in me than I do myself,” he grumbled.  
  
“Look, there’s no rush. I’ll give you all the time you need to think it through. I seem to have used up all my courage for the week anyways. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I have the collywobbles now.”   
  
Inwardly, Leonard was amazed at how the blond confide in him all these things without wavering. He shrugged nonchalantly. “Courage can easily be replenished.”  
  
“Well, until it gets replenished then,” James spoke dismissively. Then he got up with a leer and pulled him towards the bedroom. “In the meantime, I propose we get reacquainted with your poor broken bed, maybe we’ll find your spirit of adventure there.”  
  
Leonard passively allowed himself to be led to his bed, unable to protest everything those blue eyes were promising him.  
  
He should’ve kept in mind that James didn’t believe in no-win situations.  
  
\--  
  
A week later, James turned up at the clinic right as they were switching shifts with a tray in his hands. “Attention please, I have an important issue to discuss with all of you.” Everyone there quieted down and turned to him. “Thank you. Now, seeing as you’re as close of a family as Doctor McCoy’s got around here, I’m here to ask for permission to take him with me to help people all across the country. And in order to help sway you onto my side in the matter, I made enough peach cobblers for everyone. I found the recipe in Leonard’s kitchen so it has to be good.”  
  
Leonard’s eyes widened. “Dammit, James! That recipe’s supposed to be a family secret! And you can’t just trade me for peach cobblers - no matter how delicious they are!”  
  
Accepting one of the plates, Chapel disagreed too easily for his liking. “Yes, he can. This is pretty good for someone who doesn’t look like he’s ever cooked before, so you have my permission. Leonard, we love you here, we really do, but you could do so much more out there, helping others. So by kicking you out like this, we’re really just looking out for your wellbeing.”  
  
M’Benga took a piece of cobbler next. “You have my permission as well. We’ll be fine here, Leonard. I’m sure we’ll be able to replace you in no time. Please take care of him though, James. He’s good at helping others, but not himself. He makes a terrible patient. I’m speaking from experience, of course. And make sure he doesn’t tell any more authority figures off. This man’s crazy. In fact, I think Phil’s been thinking about hiring someone else for awhile now.”  
  
Boyce nodded affirmatively. “That’s right. I’ve been secretly planning to replace you all along, McCoy. You have my permission, Mr. James. Now, McCoy, you can be sure that wherever you go, there’ll be doctors wanting to talk to you about the latest medical news. Trust me when I say your reputation precedes you, whether you know it or not. You should’ve seen how outraged they were when they found out you were working in a little clinic like this instead of a proper hospital. You can’t turn your back to the rest of the world and pretend it’s not there forever.”  
  
One by one, the others took a cobbler from the blond and muttered their approval. The blond even went so far as to run into their patients’ rooms and got their approval.   
  
Finally, James turned to him, eyes bright and hopeful as he held the final piece of cobbler out to him. “So how about it, Doctor McCoy? Do I have your permission to take you on a new adventure? I get this feeling that together, we’ll be able to change the world for the better.”  
  
There was no way Leonard could’ve said no to that man even if he wanted to. He grumbled and tried his best to look exasperated as he took the cobbler even though he was pretty sure there were tears prickling at his eyes. “You cocky bastard. I’m a doctor, not some blushing little lady you’re courting."   
  
"I beg the differ," Chapel added teasingly despite her teary eyes.  
  
Ignoring her, the brunet continued, "But since everyone here’s pretty much  _disowned_  me, I guess I’ve got nowhere else to go. Bunch of ungrateful bastards is what you guys are. I can’t believe my own patients disowned me.”  
  
Even as he spoke those words, he pulled each one of them into a hug and said his farewells. Chapel went to James, wiping the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Just James, you better take good care of our Leonard. He needs someone to look out for him. Make sure he writes to us often. And you crazy boys better not get so drunk that you decide to take up stair-wrestling with your faces again, okay?” Then turning back to Leonard, she ruffled his hair warmly. “Oh, look at our Leonard, all grown up and leaving the nest.”  
  
He pulled her into a tight hug. “If I recall correctly, you guys just kicked me out of this particular nest. Christine, you make sure that soon-to-be-husband takes good care of you now, you hear?”  
  
The nurse gave him an affectionate kiss on the cheek. “Of course. Come back and visit anytime. And you make sure that you’re not being too modest, Leonard. Learn to brag a little. We expect to read all about your accomplishments in the headlines.”  
  
The blond smiled reassuringly. “Don’t you worry about that part, I’ll be bragging about him to anything with ears. I promise.”  
  
The moment was ruined when a thought came to Leonard, causing him to frown. “Wait a second, James. Have you had  _any_  of your vaccinations yet? I  _refuse_  to travel with some  _idiot_  who could keel over needlessly because he contracted some disease with a  _cure_.”  
  
James’ grin dropped and a moment later, he was hightailing out of the clinic.  
  
Leonard ended up having to chase the blond down at least two blocks before catching up to him and dragging him back to the clinic, kicking and screaming the whole way.  
  
\--  
  
After saying goodbye to his landlord and getting himself a horse, they left the next day for Savannah so that Leonard could see Joanna again before setting out. The little girl stared wide eyes at her father. She was bright for her age, but she was still young and hadn’t fully grasped the concept of divorce yet. Sitting on what used to be his porch while James went to tend to the horses, she asked him, “Why do you have to go away, daddy? Can’t you just stay here with Uncle James?”  
  
He raised a brow at the name. “Did I hear you right? You just met him and he’s already Uncle James? Never mind that. Do you remember what I told you about what a doctor’s job is, baby girl?”  
  
The little girl nodded solemnly. “They help any and all people in need. Does Uncle James need help?”  
  
Leonard chuckled. “’Uncle James’ need  _a lot_  of help. It’s not just him though. There are a lot of people who need help right now and they’re not getting it, so, since daddy’s a doctor, he’s got to go and help them. Do you understand?”  
  
Joanna dipped her head, her bangs hiding her eyes. “I understand, daddy. I do, but I still wish you’d stay.”  
  
The brunet held her close, willing his brain to capture every last detail and sensation of the moment. “Joanna, you know there’s nowhere I’d like to be more than by your side and there’s no one in this world I love more than you. Maybe when I’m done, your mama will let you come visit me and ‘Uncle James,’ wherever we are.”  
  
She smiled excitedly. “Really? Uncle James said he’d teach me how to ride horses the next time I see him!”  
  
“Oh? Is that how he got you to call him Uncle James?”  
  
Joanna’s eyes widened as she admitted honestly, “He told me not to tell you but I forgot. I’m sorry.”  
  
He laughed at the confession. “Don’t you worry, darlin’. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear a thing, okay? Then neither of us will get into trouble.”  
  
The little girl smiled gratefully. “Thank you, daddy. I love you lots.”  
  
Kissing her forehead, he gave her one last hug. “I love you too, Jo. I’ll write and call you whenever I can, I promise.”  
  
She nodded. “Please help as many people as you can, daddy. And please help Uncle James too.”  
  
“I’ll try my best, baby girl.” He promised her, “I’ll try my best.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:  
  
Much to the dismay and physical pain of Leonard’s behind, it was a two day ride before they came across a little tribe. They slept out in the open when the weather allowed it and in a tent when otherwise. Sure, James kept him busy with small talk, debates and other ‘distractions,’ but whenever he had a moment of silence to think, his mind told him to stop, turn around and go home to his daughter.   
  
In short, he was terrified.  
  
One night, as Leonard stared into their rather small camp fire, he thought to himself,  _‘You’re in over your head, Leonard. What the hell are you thinking? Riding off to god knows where with a man you barely know? You’re probably going to get yourself killed before anything else. You’re going to die of typhoid and dysentery and it’s going to be **disgusting**. You’ll get those pink spots on your lower chest and-’_  
  
Then James snapped him out of his reverie. “Hey, Leonard?”  
  
Immediately looking over, the doctor saw that the man’s head was tilted upwards towards the sky, looking so at serene that it took his breath away. “What is it?”  
  
“Do you believe in serendipity?”  
  
Taking a moment to consider the question, he had to conclude, “No, I don’t think I do, not really. Why?”  
  
The blond shrugged and smiled at him. “No real reason. I was just thinking about how glad I am that you’re here. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to leave Atlanta. But for me, it’s a lot easier to face the world with you around, so thanks. Thanks a lot for being here…with me.”  
  
Leonard’s anxiety dissipated after that.  
  
\--  
  
When they came across the Vulcan tribe in the Indian Territory, they were beginning to run low on provisions. After they explained their situation to the tribe, they were calmly invited in and given food and shelter for the duration of their stay.   
  
Much to Leonard’s surprise, they were even given a tour through the small settlement. They ventured into the long house to watch little Vulcans learn by standing in rows and memorizing facts. They even had the honour of sitting in the council of elders during their weekly gathering to discuss the problems concerning ‘outsiders’.   
  
The Vulcans turned out to be very advanced in their theories and practices despite having little to no contact with the outside world. They lived in peace with the other tribes around them, generally adhering to their non-violent philosophy. Though reserved and wary of outsiders, a couple Vulcans kept James busy by engaging in debates with him on hunting techniques and ‘outsider’ problems, while Leonard opted for discussions around medical and scientific practices.  
  
“I definitely learnt a lot today,” said James on their first evening in their assigned living area. James grinned excitedly at Leonard. “Those garbs look good on you, by the way. So are you having fun around here, Leonard?”  
  
The doctor shrugged. He had to admit, that the Vulcans’ clothing was exceptionally comfortable despite how stiff it looked. “I’m alright. They have very in depth knowledge of medical plants around here. They agreed to teach me more tomorrow. You seem to be enjoying yourself.”  
  
“This place is amazing. I wouldn’t mind staying here for awhile. They even promised to take me hunting tomorrow. It’s going to be great.” Blue eyes scanned their surroundings for a moment. “But changing the subject, they do that eyebrow thing a lot, don’t they?”   
  
As though on cue, the doctor raised a brow. “What eyebrow thing?”  
  
“Yeah, kind of like what you’re doing right now.” The blond grinned. “You’re actually pretty good at that, Leonard. You must feel right at home here. I’ve still got to work on mine.”  
  
The brunet could only laugh as he watched James ‘practice.’   
  
“Don’t be such an infant. If you keep it up, you’ll probably end up offending someone – not that they’d show anger or any other kind of emotion. For all you know, you could be cussing up a storm with your eyebrows right now.”  
  
James stopped his practicing and turned to him. “You know, I have to admit, as impressive as everything here is, there’s this one thing I’m especially surprised about.”  
  
Leonard blinked, confused. “Which thing? The thing where they don’t seem to have any emotions whatsoever? Their very advanced science and medical practices? How all their children are smarter than the average Joe? That thing where despite their brain power, they’ve never considered taking over the country?”  
  
Blue eyes regarded the doctor seriously. “Nope. All those things are fascinating, but I’m talking about pon farr! Don’t tell me they didn’t tell you about pon farr! They must’ve! It’s part of their medical history! Every seven years, they have this ‘have sex or die’ thing! How surprising is that? They’re so stoic and logical all the time, it’s hard to imagine them turning into raging beasts every seven years.”  
  
Taking a moment to get the ‘raging beast’ image out of his mind, Leonard shook his head incredulously. “Unbelievable. We’ve been here for one day and the thing you’re most intrigued by is their mating rituals?”  
  
“But it’s not just  _any_  mating ritual! It’s  _pon farr_!”  
  
\--  
  
They were sitting in an empty tent after James got back from his big hunt with the Vulcans.  
  
“You’re not allowed to go hunting with them again.” Leonard growled as he applied his newly ground ointment to the cuts that the blond was sporting.   
  
James immediately protested. “But I got a nice, big buck, didn’t I!?”  
  
“Yeah, after it chased you for a mile! What the hell were you thinking, James!?”  
  
“I was thinking ‘Fuck, I wish I had a gun on me.’” Then he added with a smile, “And I was thinking about you, of course. You and that poor lonely, broken bed we left behind.”  
  
The doctor frowned. “Stop joking around, you could’ve died!”  
  
“But I’m fine!”  
  
“Only because those Vulcans managed to get the damn beast before it skewered you! My god, man, you’re a walking disaster just waiting to happen!”  
  
Blue eyes studied him closely for a moment. “That’s alright, because I know you’ll always be there to fix me, right, Leonard?”  
  
Focussing his attention on the cuts, the brunet sighed. “You know I’ll always try, but…though I pray it never comes, there might be a time when I won’t be able to for one reason or another, James.”  
  
“Then I can only hope that you’ll be the last thing I see. I’d sooner die than let anything happen to you.”  
  
Leonard scowled. “Don’t say something so morbid so easily. It’s unsettling. You don’t have a death wish, do you? Oh wait, you were nearly ran through by a  _deer_  today –  _the_  gentlest creature in the woods!”  
  
James laughed. “You’re not going to let that go anytime soon, are you?”  
  
“What do you expect me to do if you die?”  
  
“Go home?”  
  
Punching the blonde’s arm, hazel eyes narrowed. “That’s not funny. You seriously could’ve died.”  
  
James merely smiled and kissed the doctor lightly. “If I had died earlier, at least know that my last thoughts would’ve been of you.”  
  
\--  
  
On their fourth night, as they sat by the fire, the blond leaned over and whispered to him, “Look over there, Leonard. Do you see the one sitting there with the hair and the eyebrows?”  
  
Leonard was sure that if he rolled his eyes any harder, they would’ve rolled right out of his skull. “Oh my god, James, could you be any more vague? I’m sure I see him but I have no idea which one you’re talking about because every single one of have hair and pretty much the same eyebrows. Are there any distinctive features on this guy you’re looking at?”  
  
James squinted slightly. “The younger one sitting by himself with the short black hair and serious eyes? Does that help at all? He’s looking kind of lost.”  
  
Scanning the many faces around them, the doctor shook his head. “No. That doesn’t help at all.” Then he asked skeptically, “How can you tell if the guy’s looking lost? Vulcans aren’t exactly expressive people.”  
  
“His eyebrows.”  
  
“Oh, yes, I can see it now - their expressive eyebrows. How’d I ever miss that,” he drawled sarcastically.  
  
The blond shrugged and grinned good-naturedly. “I’m just good at reading Vulcan eyebrows, I guess. I think he’s the one with the anthropologist for a mother. Someone mentioned it really subtly earlier. Apparently she was killed last year for being married to a Vulcan.” Putting his bowl down, he got up. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to go talk to him. Maybe he’ll join us.”  
  
Watching the blond approach one of the Vulcans, he snorted to himself. “Oh, of course. He meant  _that_  one. How did I  _not_ know which one he was talking about?”  
  
Minutes later, James returned, looking thoughtful. “His name’s Spock. I couldn’t get through to him today. I’ll have to try again tomorrow. Help me come up with logical arguments for him to join us. I’ve got this feeling he’ll do us a lot of good.”  
  
Hazel eyes blinked. “Logical arguments? Dammit, James, I’m a doctor, not a logician.”  
  
\--  
  
“I’m afraid that’s highly illogical.”  
  
James rubbed the back of his neck in thought, the cogs in his brain turning at a speed that Leonard had never felt (or probably known) before. “Yes, but if we were to look at your personal experience, wouldn’t you say that by being only half Vulcan, it has caused you emotional distress?”  
  
Spock raised his eyebrow. “That would be correct.”  
  
“And would it be correct to say that the tormentors were being illogical in their actions?”  
  
“Yes. Physical feature-wise, we are all nearly identical. There shouldn’t have been any discrepancies if they were basing their argument on features alone.”  
  
The blond mimicked the man and raised his brow. “Are you saying that they should’ve based their judgements solely on physical features then?”  
  
Spock shook his head. “Of course not. Physical features are merely the external appearance of a person. It has very little to do with our intellect and internal capabilities.”   
  
“So basically, regardless of appearance, a person’s a person.”  
  
“To simplify it, yes. I believe that one should make their judgment on what’s logical.”  
  
“For example?” Leonard asked helpfully.   
  
Turning to the doctor, Spock replied, “For example, if a person were to torment another needlessly and without any clear reasoning, it would be logical to say that this person is acting irrationally. One should act on logic, not emotion or other irrational things.”  
  
“So you base your judgment on whether or not someone’s logical in their actions,” James concluded.  
  
The Vulcan considered it for a moment. “Yes, I suppose, to a large extent.”  
  
The blond nodded. “Alright, understood. Now, let’s leave that aside for a moment. I need you to picture tens of thousands of these tormentors everywhere, and people who are being hurt needlessly because of differences in their physical features. According to your logic, these tormentors are being illogical in their actions as physical features are ‘merely the external appearance of a person.’ However, that’s what’s happening right now, all around us. It’s unsettling thinking about all these crazy people, isn’t it?”  
  
Spock replied stiffly, “Slightly.”  
  
James smiled, sensing that progress was being made. “So in order to put an end to that discomfort, the logical standpoint would be to deal with these tormentors, either by changing their behaviour or by physically disabling them.”   
  
The Vulcan dipped his head in agreement. “That would be a logical argument.”  
  
“Then I propose you come with us because we’re searching for a method. And I think your input would be a great asset to us.”  
  
“I agree that logical input would be valuable in most situations if not all. Mr. James, you’ve been debating this topic with me for three days now. Is this all just so I’d join you in your plight?”  
  
The blond chuckled lightly. “Yes, pretty much. So will you help us?”   
  
“You could’ve used the events of my mother’s passing in order to persuade me. But you didn’t. I am very curious as to why you chose to go through three days of debate instead.”  
  
James shrugged. “Because I thought you were worth racking my brains for three days? It was actually pretty fun so I didn’t really mind. We really could use some of your Vulcan logic, Mr. Spock.” Then he smiled. “Look, I’ll even give you a special offer. Come with us to the next town and if you find that your beliefs don’t align with ours, or that you don’t approve of the way we see and do things, then you can leave and we won’t try to stop you.”  
  
The Vulcan raised a brow. “Of course. Naturally, I had every intention of doing that very thing. It would be illogical of me to remain with people whose ideals and behaviour conflict with my own.”  
  
From the side where he’d been sitting and trying his best to listen attentively, Leonard chuckled. “Very nice. He just called you stupid in more words than was needed. So how come  _I_  never got that special offer of yours, Just James?”  
  
James smiled at him, ignoring his first comment. “Because you’re special, obviously. You’re the only one who won’t ever get that offer, Leonard. You and me, we’re in this for the long run.”  
  
“Well, that doesn’t seem very fair,” he drawled.  
  
“I guess that’s just what you get for stabbing me with all those needles. You know I’m terrified of them. I confronted my fears for you, Leonard. You should be happy about that!”  
  
“I gave you vaccinations against potentially fatal diseases, you damn infant.”  
  
Watching their interactions, Spock nodded slightly to himself. “Fascinating…I believe it’d be beneficial for me to follow you on your journey. There appears to be much I can learn from you and from the world outside the tribe.”  
  
The blond shook his head. “You won’t be following anyone. You’ll be joining us and you’ll be travelling right beside us as a companion. Is that alright with you, Mr. Spock?”  
  
The Vulcan almost smiled. “Yes. In fact, that’s more than all right. I’d be most pleased to accept your offer, Mr. James. Thank you.”  
  
\--  
  
Spock’s decision to leave was not well met by the elders of the community. After news got out, the young Vulcan was immediately summoned to the council of elders. And unsurprisingly, James dragged Leonard over towards the building to find a way to eavesdrop.   
  
The doctor scowled. “You have no manners at all.”  
  
James merely patted him on the arm and smiled in reply.  
  
From the inside, they could hear the voice of the chief and Spock conversing.  
  
_“Spock, you have surpassed the expectations of your instructors. But I hear you have been considering following our visitors on their journey?”_  
  
Spock’s equally neutral voice replied,  _“That is correct.”  
  
“Consider it no further. We have decided that you are more than capable of joining the council. It is truly remarkable, Spock, that you have achieved so much despite your disadvantage. All rise.”_  
  
There was a pause.  _“If you would clarify, to what disadvantage are you referring?”  
  
“Your outsider mother,”_  was the elder’s blunt response.  
  
Outside the building, James winced.  
  
_“Council, I must decline.”  
  
“No Vulcan has ever declined admission to the council!”  
  
“Then, as I am half-outsider, your record remains untarnished.”_  
  
A new voice interjected.  _“Spock, you have made a commitment to honour the Vulcan way.”_  
  
Then the chief asked,  _“Why are you doing this, Spock? Is it to satisfy your emotional need to rebel?”  
  
“The only emotion I wish to convey is gratitude. Thank you, Elders, for your consideration.”_  Although the Vulcan’s words were neutral and polite, his tone clearly spoke otherwise.  _“Live long and prosper.”_  
  
James and Leonard immediately skittered off when they heard Spock leaving the council. Trying his best to feign innocence, the blond asked, “So how’d it go with the council?”  
  
From beside him, Leonard shook his head and rolled his eyes.   
  
Spock raised a brow. “It went well. If you’ll excuse me, I need a moment to gather my belongings and then I’ll be ready to depart.”  
  
The blond nodded. “Take all the time you need.”  
  
\--  
  
After Spock packed, the three of them were getting ready to leave the tribe when an older Vulcan Leonard recognized as ‘Sarek’ approached them with his horse. “I trust that you’ve packed enough provision for three, Spock.”  
  
The Vulcan raised his head. “Father.”  
  
There was a long pause between them.  
  
Sarek spared a glance over to James and Leonard. “So you really are going to leave with these outsiders.”  
  
“That is correct. I’m afraid I feel the need to see the world beyond our tribe as unwise as it may be.”  
  
“What is necessary is never unwise.” When Spock hesitated, his father continued, “You will always be a child of two worlds. I am grateful for this, and for you.”  
  
Spock lowered his head. “I continue to feel anger for the one who took mother’s life – an anger I cannot control.”  
  
Gently, the older Vulcan spoke, “I believe…that she would say, ‘Do not try to.’ You asked me once why I married your mother. I married her because I loved her. And I am very sorry to have lost her.”   
  
“As am I,” Spock agreed quietly. “By going with Mr. James and Doctor McCoy, I hope to see more of the world that mother came from. I want to understand why her life was taken. And I would like to understand and change the beliefs and values that cause these outsiders to turn on their own kind. I wish to be part of the remedy of these problems, father.”  
  
Sarek nodded thoughtfully. “You know, you were named after one of Vulcan’s early society builders. I understand what these young men are setting out to do, and I think that it is a very worthy cause to pursue. It is also one that very few would have the courage to face. Seeing as their cause resonates with you, I will not hinder you, Spock. Take this horse, she was a gift from your mother, and know that whatever you choose to be, you will have proud parents.”  
  
Accepting the reins, the younger Vulcan dipped his head gratefully. “Thank you.”  
  
Then turning to James and Leonard, Sarek held his hand up, forming their customary gesture. “Mr. James, Doctor McCoy, thank you for your visitation. We found your presence most pleasant. I wish you the best of luck on your journey. Live long as prosper.”  
  
The three of them returned the gesture and set off.  
  
They rode in silence for a couple hours before James finally broke the silence. “So, Mr. Spock, is Spock your first or last name? Or do you guys not have those in your tribe?”  
  
The Vulcan raised a brow. “I do have a full name if that’s what you’re inquiring. However, I don’t believe you would be able to pronounce it.”  
  
“Oh?” Blue eyes gleamed at the challenge. “It can’t be  _that_  bad. Just try me.”  
  
“Very well. It’s S'chn T'gai Spock.”  
  
There was a long pause.   
  
James exchanged incredulous glances with Leonard for a moment before clearing his throat. “Well then, I’m not even going to try to repeat that. I guess Mr. Spock works just as well, right, Leonard?”  
  
“Don’t drag me into this. I was just going to call him Spock anyways.”  
  
“I believe this is a situation in which I am obligated to say ‘I told you so.’”  
  
The doctor burst into laughter while the blond sulked.   
  
They rode in silence for another hour or so before James started again. “So…what’s pon farr like?”  
  
Leonard pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Unbelievable.”  
  
\--  
  
They stopped at the first city they passed to get Spock a proper suit. Getting off their horses, Leonard stretched out his back and groaned uncomfortably. “I’m way too old to be travelling like this. Who the hell decided that horses would make good modes of transportation anyways?”  
  
“You’re such an old grump sometimes.” James laughed. “Tell you what, Leonard. We’ll stay the night here for your poor back’s sake. I’ll go with Spock to find him something comfortable and not so eye-catching to wear. Do you want to come with?”  
  
The doctor shook his head. “I need to go find a telephone to give Jo and Christine a call. I’ll find a place for us to stay tonight too because I refuse to sleep in the stables. You might be used to it, but I’m definitely too old to be doing shit like that. Try to stay out of trouble, you hooligans – especially you, James.”  
  
The blond grinned innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Leonard.”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’ll meet you two back here when I’m finished.”  
  
Making their way towards the streets, James patted him on the back. “Sounds good. You stay out of trouble as well, doc. Don’t go around picking up potential outlaws now.”  
  
“Oh no, meeting one potential outlaw was more than enough for me. And by the way, I didn’t pick you up. You came barging in and hurled a woman in labour into my arms.”  
  
As they parted ways, the blond laughed. “Those were good times, doc. I’ll see you later. Come on, Spock, let’s see if we can get you a suit. I’ll even tell you about how I met Leonard on the way.”  
  
Waving the two off, Leonard snorted and walked off.   
  
\--  
  
Later, after they met up and made their way to the inn, in the confines of their room, James looked around, curious about how there were three beds instead of two. Leonard had found it strange as well, being too used to sharing a bed with the blond than he wanted to admit. But for Spock’s comfort sake, the doctor decided that having individual beds would be better.   
  
The blond shrugged off the number of beds easily enough and asked the brunet conversationally, “So how’s Joanna? And the guys at the clinic?”  
  
“Joanna’s doing just fine. The guys are the same as always. They all asked after you.”  
  
Blue eyes lit up at being mentioned in the conversation. “Oh, did they really? And what’d you tell them? Did you tell them about how gallant I was during that hunt with the Vulcans? Or how amazing I was during my three day debate with Spock?”  
  
Leonard shrugged nonchalantly. “I told them that you were being as obnoxious as ever and nearly got gutted by a deer of all things. And then you spent three days getting your ass verbally kicked by a Vulcan.”  
  
James pouted. “Well, that’s not very nice of you, Leonard.”  
  
Ignoring the blond, he turned to Spock. “I told them about you too, Mr. Spock. They’re very curious about you. Maybe you’ll get to meet them if you stick around with us long enough.” Then he added, “Nice suit, by the way. It suits you pretty well.”  
  
Spock replied wordlessly with a raised eyebrow.  
  
Figuring that he wasn’t going to get much more of a reaction from the Vulcan, Leonard continued, “Apparently there’s a doctor in New Orleans who’s requesting my presence. There’s been a mild breakout over there and they need all the help they can get before it gets any worse.”  
  
Without any hesitation, James smiled. “I guess we’re heading to New Orleans next then.”  
  
Pouring himself and the blond a glass of bourbon that he had bought, Leonard blinked. “That was a lot easier than I expected.”   
  
The blond shrugged. “I’m not going to risk making you hate me because I held you back from your life’s calling for no good reason. Saving people’s what you do. It’s what makes you so damn amazing, doc.”  
  
“Are you going to go on about that again? I’ve told you time and time again: it’s my job.” Grabbing a third glass, the doctor asked the Vulcan, “Do you drink, Mr. Spock?”  
  
“On occasion,” the man answered vaguely.  
  
Leonard stared blankly at the taller man. “…and will this particular occasion be one of which you partake in drinking with us? It was a yes or no question, dammit.”  
  
Spock shook his head. “I believe I will decline your invitation this time. I must say though, Doctor McCoy, I am very surprised that you’re still willing to drink after the…repercussions last time.”  
  
Hazel eyes widened. “Dammit, James, out of all things you could’ve told him, why that!?”  
  
James grinned and took a sip from his glass. “What can I say? We’re a team now. I had to break the ice somehow. It worked, didn’t it?”  
  
Leonard could’ve sworn that the Vulcan looked almost amused.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:  
  
They arrived in New Orleans earlier than expected. It was evening and they were exhausted from their trip. As though reading his mind, James frowned. “Leonard, you can’t possibly be thinking about heading straight to the hospital. The people there have probably turned in for the night, right? Hospital folk  _do_  sleep, don’t they?”  
  
“Don’t be stupid, James. There are always people working at the hospital and they need help right now.”  
  
The blond shook his head. “Go help them tomorrow. You’re not going to help anyone without a good night’s rest. There’s no way I’m letting you work yourself to death. It’s illogical, right, Spock?”   
  
The Vulcan dipped his head in agreement. “I’m afraid I have to agree with James, doctor. You are clearly in no state to be researching. If anything, your immune system is probably weakened from your exhaustion and will make you more susceptible to the very disease you’re trying to cure.”  
  
The doctor scowled. “I can’t believe the two of you are ganging up on me.”  
  
Gentler, James added, “You can go first thing tomorrow morning, alright?”  
  
Taken aback by how serious the two of them sounded, Leonard could only nod.

 

The three of them ended up walking into a small tavern that night at the promise of getting to hear the best singer in all of New Orleans. Sitting by the bar with their drinks, they waited for the main attraction to show up. James leaned over the counter to ask the bartender, “So who’s this famous singer everyone’s so hyped up about?”  
  
The man behind the bar laughed. “M’afraid you’ll have to stick around and see for yourself, boy. This is a place of music and we’ll accept nothing but the best so you definitely won’t regret it. She’s got the voice of an angel.”  
  
Then the noise died down and a beautiful woman appeared on stage. Dressed elegantly, she had her hair drawn back in a ponytail and made eye contact with everyone in the bar. The pianist began playing and she started to sing. The three of them sat there, dumbstruck by the sound of her voice, until one of the drunks next to them yelled out, “What’s she doing here? Take her back to  _her_  side of town and let’s bring in some  _real_  entertainment in here!”  
  
James and Spock exchanged glances before they each took one of the man’s arms and escorted him outside, ignoring his protests. The doctor sighed and finished off his drink. Sparing a final glance towards the singer, he followed the two outside.   
  
The first thing he heard was  _“Ow! How come **I’m**  the only one that gets punched in the face!?”_  
  
Leonard could feel a headache coming on as he watched the drunkard scramble to get away from the pair. “Come on. Turn around and let me see, James.” The blond did so obediently and grinned ruefully at him while the bruise began to darken on his cheek. “Unbelievable. I lose sight of you for 30 seconds and this is what happens.”  
  
“What?” James protested loudly. “It wasn’t  _my_  idea by any means! It’s not like I went up to the jackass and said, ‘Oh hey there, would you be so kind as to  _punch me in the face_? I just  _love_  it when Leonard fusses over me. Thanks a lot.’”  
  
The doctor pulled his lips taut as he examined the bruise. “I don’t see  _Spock_  getting hurt by drunkards.”  
  
“It’s probably because he’s so tall and so surprisingly strong. You should’ve seen him! He practically lifted the guy up singlehandedly and threw him down the street! He didn’t even break a sweat!”  
  
“Is that right? That was  _after_  the guy punched you in the face, right? He certainly could’ve acted a little quicker.” The brunet was going to say more but noticed that the Vulcan had drifted back over towards the window to listen to the rest of the woman’s song.   
  
James grinned lopsidedly, favouring his bruised cheek. “Would you look at that? It would appear that Mr. Spock’s got his sight set on a certain someone. This is going just as I planned.”  
  
Hazel eyes narrowed. “Don’t tell me…”  
  
“That’s right. I had a good feeling about her the second I laid eyes on her. Just trust me on this, Leonard. You trust me, don’t you?”   
  
Leonard snorted. “Do I? I’m not sure anymore. It’s something I have to contemplate on a daily basis.”  
  
“I  _can’t_  be that bad. My feelings were right about you and Spock, weren’t they? Besides, I think she’ll do Spock a world of good. Shall we go see if we can get the two acquainted?” Then walking over to Spock, James asked conversationally, “Enjoying the music, Mr. Spock?”  
  
The Vulcan didn’t bother turning away from the window to address them. “This singer is very impressive. She has sung in five different languages since she first started.”  
  
The blond waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I see. Mr. Spock, it would appear that you’ve got a thing for talented tongues then?”  
  
Not catching on to the innuendo, Spock nodded. “Yes, I find her lingual abilities fascinating.”  
  
Leonard scowled at his friend. “And this is why you always get punched in the face.”  
  
James merely smiled in reply and dragged the two towards the back of the building. “Come on, there should be a backdoor to the place somewhere.”  
  
The doctor raised a brow. “We’re going to go in through the backdoor? Wait, why are we going through the backdoor? There’s a perfectly good and fully functional front door right here! Why can’t we just listen to the performance like normal people? Are you out of your infantile mind, James!?”  
  
“It’ll be fine, Leonard! Just relax and let me work my magic!”  
  
“ _Magic_? What magic!? James, you just got punched in the  _face_! If you had magic of any kind, that wouldn’t have happened!” But the blond ignored him and continued pulling them down the alleyway. The brunet looked up to the sky and took a deep breath. Then he muttered to himself, “This is just great. We’re going to get arrested in New Orleans. Just fan- _goddamn_ -tastic.”

  
  
They listened to the rest of the singer’s performance from the dressing room. The whole time, Spock was too enthralled in the music to talk sense into their leader so Leonard sat there and buried his face in his hands, waiting for the police to burst in. Inside his head, he could hear Chapel’s disapproving voice.  
  
 _‘Leonard, when I said that we’d be expecting to read about you in the headlines, breaking and entering into an unsuspecting woman’s dressing room wasn’t exactly what we had in mind.’_  
  
When the performance ended, the three of them stood to attention and waited.   
  
The door clicked and the woman stepped inside. Her eyes immediately widened, but before she could scream, James covered her mouth with his hand. “Don’t scream. Please don’t scream. We’re not criminals or anything, I swear! And we’re not going to do anything – even though me covering your mouth probably isn’t the most convincing or the smartest thing I could’ve done.”  
  
Leonard pulled the blond back. “Good god, man,  _this_  was your brilliant plan!? Hang around the dressing room and hope she doesn’t scream at the sight of strange men waiting for her!?  _This_  is why you get punched in the face!” Turning to the woman, he apologized profusely. “I’m mighty sorry, miss. You were very lovely out there on the stage tonight. This guy here’s an idiot and I think we should probably go now. God, I’m so very sorry.”  
  
The woman blinked and studied the three of them for a moment. “Oh, you’re the three that got rid of the drunk in the back earlier. I suppose I should thank you, but it’s nothing I couldn’t have handled. I deal with rude men on a daily basis.” Then she smiled just ever so slightly. “Creepy guys who wait for me in my dressing room however, this is only the third time.”  
  
The blond pulled himself out of the doctor’s grasp and laughed at the singer’s astuteness. “Well, damn. You hear that, boys? We missed out on being first. Oh well, third time’s a charm, right? So can we buy you a drink or something, miss?”  
  
She scoffed and began gathering her things. “Thanks but no thanks.”  
  
James rubbed the back of his neck, clearly not used to getting such a reaction from anyone. “Don’t you at least want to exchange names before completely rejecting all three of us?”  
  
“Of course. Let’s introduce ourselves to the one person who can get us arrested for breaking and entering,” the doctor muttered quietly to himself.  
  
The singer shook her head. “Not really. I’m fine without it.”  
  
The blond grinned, not missing a beat. “You  _are_  fine without it. If you don’t tell me your name, I’m going to have to make one up.”  
  
Leonard face-palmed and sighed while Spock merely watched on.  
  
The woman rolled her eyes. “It’s Uhura. Just Uhura.”  
  
James stiffened at her response and glanced uncertainly over at the brunet. “…why? Did you lose your last name somewhere?”  
  
“Uhura  _is_  my last name.”  
  
Blue eyes blinked, relaxing slightly. “Oh. Then, did you lose your first name?”  
  
The singer smiled mysteriously.   
  
The blond grinned at the challenge. “I’ll find out what it is, you just wait, Miss Uhura. Anyways, my name’s James, that’s the amazing Doctor Leonard McCoy over there and Mr. Spock next to him. We were very impressed by your singing. So tell me, are you fluent in all those languages?”  
  
Uhura raised a brow skeptically. “’All those languages?’ And what languages did you hear me singing in?”  
  
It was clear that she was testing him. However, James was ready for it. “Out of the songs you sang tonight, not including any that I might’ve missed while I was outside, you sang in English, French, Italian, German, Russian and I believe the last one was Swahili.” When everyone turned to him, bewildered, the blond frowned. “What? Why are you all looking at me like that!? Seriously, even you, Leonard? Is it really that much of a surprise that I actually have a working brain that can identify different languages?”  
  
The woman crossed her arms. “I’m impressed. For a moment there, I thought you were just a dumb hick who only has sex with farm animals.”  
  
“Well, not only.” The blond grinned, eyes catching Leonard’s for a brief second.   
  
The doctor blushed and averted all further eye contact.  
  
The singer eyed the three of them questioningly for a moment before continuing. “You know what? Maybe I  _will_  take that drink offer. I’ll meet you out at the bar.” The men nodded and began to filter out, but then she pulled Leonard back. “Wait. You’re an actual doctor, right? Are you any good?”  
  
From the door, James immediately replied for him, “You bet he is! Leonard’s the best doctor in the whole damn country!”  
  
Cussing under his breath at the blonde’s enthusiasm, Leonard waved them off. “Thanks for the advertisement. I’ll catch up with you two in a minute. Get me my usual, James.”  
  
James saluted him and sauntered off although there was the slightest hint of uncertainty in those baby blue eyes. Spock nodded politely at the singer before following the blond towards the bar.  
  
After the two disappeared, Uhura chuckled to herself. “He’s certainly enthusiastic about your medical skills.”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, “Yeah, he’s my personal promoter. What better way to get your name out there than by having a nutcase - who has a tendency of getting punched in the face and a fear of needle’s - very loud testimony.” Then he asked, “So is that wrist of yours giving you problems?”  
  
Her eyes widened in surprise as she cradled her wrist. “You could tell?”  
  
He shrugged. “You were favouring it when grabbing your things. I’m a doctor, I’m supposed to notice these things.” Holding out his hands, he asked politely, “Would you mind if I took a look at it, Miss Uhura? How did it happen?”  
  
“I was fending off a drunk a couple nights ago on my way home. It was nothing I couldn’t handle, but I guess I must’ve hit him on an angle.” The singer held out her arm. “I have to say, I’m surprised there’s actually a gentleman in the group.”  
  
Leonard chuckled as he examined her arm. “When you’re born and raised in the south, you can’t help but be a gentleman, I guess. And while you might be able to defend yourself just fine, a young lady like yourself should be escorted home at night.”  
  
“My name’s Nyota. Nyota Uhura.”  
  
“That’s a beautiful name. I’m Leonard McCoy. James is going to throw a fit when he finds out you told me. Don’t pay him too much attention though, he’s just a sweet talking thing who’s used to getting what he wants.”  
  
Uhura smiled. “He’s certainly quite the character.”  
  
The brunet snorted. “That’s one way to put it. If I was being perfectly honest, I’d tell you that he’s nothing but a walking disaster. He’s not a bad person by any means though, he’s just been through a lot more things than the average person.”  
  
The singer nodded knowingly. “It shows in his eyes.”  
  
Not comfortable with talking about James any further, he asked, “Do you have anything I can use to wrap around your hand?”  
  
She handed him an old scarf. “And the other one. Is he mute or just shy?”  
  
“Thank you, darlin’.” The doctor raised a brow at her apparent interest in the Vulcan. “Spock? If I had to classify him, I guess I’d say that he’s the smart, quiet type. And he may or may not have been struck speechless by you – which I find just adorable. Why don’t you try talking to him? Maybe the two of you will hit it off.”  
  
The singer looked thoughtful. “I’ll consider it.”  
  
Tying the scarf around her wrist, he nodded at his makeshift bandage. “Alright, here you are. Your arm’s going to be just fine. It’s nothing too serious, but try not to move it too much for the next couple days. If you need help of any kind, I’m sure James or Spock would be more than happy to assist you.”  
  
“Thank you, doctor.”  
  
“Just Leonard’s fine. I should probably go see what those rascals are up to. You just take your time here, Miss Uhura.”  
  
“Just Nyota’s fine, Leonard,” she replied in a similar manner.  
  
The two shared a smile before Leonard made his way to the bar. 

  
  
James immediately held out his glass of bourbon out to the brunet as he approached and asked, “What happened? What did she say to you?”  
  
The doctor raised an eyebrow. “Calm down. There’s no need to get worked up now. She just wanted me to look at a sprained wrist.” Then looking at the empty glasses on the counter, he stared at the two incredulously. “Even you, Spock? Look, nothing happened, damn it. I’m a doctor, not Casanova. I’ve already been through one divorce, and I sure as hell ain’t looking for another one. And besides, I already have more than enough on my plate at the moment. Dealing with you troublemakers is all I have time and energy for – especially you, Just James.”  
  
His words earned him a warm smile from the blond.  
  
Just then, Uhura stepped out, dressed in men’s garments with her hair tied up and hidden underneath a hat. The three of them blinked and stared at her stupidly as she approached them. She rolled her eyes and accepted a drink and a small wad of cash from the bartender. “Don’t look so surprised. I’m not dumb enough to walk home on my own in a flashy dress.”  
  
Leonard was the first to find his words. “I’m going to insist that you let us walk you back home today. Wouldn’t want you to take the risk of running into thugs again.”  
  
The singer smiled teasingly. “Fine. But only because you insisted on it, Leonard.”  
  
Both James and Spock gaped at the doctor.  
  
The brunet chuckled and shook his head. “You’re having way too much fun with this.”  
  
The woman shrugged. “I have to get my laughs where I can.”  
  
Taking a sip of his drink, Leonard asked, “So do you live very far from here?”  
  
Uhura shook her head. “No, I moved to a place nearby recently. I refuse to take the streetcar now that that policy’s in place. You should’ve come a couple years earlier, this city used to be a lot better.”  
  
“It’s still a lot better than a couple of the places I’ve been to,” James supplied.  
  
“I suppose that’s true. At least it’s still got this bar.” Finishing the last of her drink, she smiled. “Shall we get going, boys?”

  
  
Walking out of the bar, Uhura turned to the Vulcan. “I don’t believe I’ve heard you speak yet, Mr. Spock. Are you incapable of speech?”  
  
Spock raised a brow. “I can assure you, miss, that I am fully capable of speaking – in multiple languages, in fact.”  
  
Uhura blinked curiously. “Oh? Like what?”  
  
“I was raised speaking Vulcan for one.”  
  
“Vulcan? I’ve never heard of that language before.”  
  
He nodded. “I can’t imagine you have. It is the language of my tribe.”  
  
“Might you say something in Vulcan, please? I’d like to hear what it sounds like.”  
  
Spock did.  
  
Uhura smiled. “That’s a beautiful language. Do the Vulcans have songs as well?”  
  
“Yes, we do. We have different songs for various occasions. And although outsiders’ opinions may differ, I find them all very pleasing to the ears.”  
  
“Well, I’m going to have to insist that you teach me these songs, Mr. Spock.”  
  
\--  
  
“So, Leonard, still not a believer of serendipity?”  
  
Following behind the two, Leonard rolled his eyes. “No. I also don’t believe that breaking and entering is ever the answer to a problem. But apparently we have very different mindsets when it comes to these kinds of things.”  
  
James cuffed him on the arm and grinned. “They look strangely good together, don’t they?”  
  
The doctor shrugged. “They certainly make quite a striking pair. Apparently Vulcan is the new language of love. Who would’ve thought?”  
  
“I still need to find out what her first name is. Do you have any idea what it could be?” When Leonard didn’t answer, the blond gaped. “No…don’t tell me you know it? Seriously? She told you her first name!? That’s not fair!”  
  
Leonard smirked. “And I bet she’s telling it to Mr. Spock right now. I guess that’s just what you get for breaking and entering into a lady’s dressing room. If I were her, I would’ve just kicked your ass - never mind exchange names with you. You can’t just burst into someone’s place like that and expect them to be welcome you with open arms.”  
  
“But it worked when I ran into your clinic, didn’t it? Anyways, how else would we’ve met her? I want a retrial!”  
  
The brunet rolled his eyes. “Stop being such a child.”  
  
Arriving at her quarters, Uhura turned around. “Thank you for escorting me back home. Good night, Leonard, Mr. James. And I’ll see you tomorrow then, Mr. Spock.”  
  
\--  
  
“So do we have a deal?”  
  
The doctor frowned. “I don’t see why or how there’s even room to be making deals here. I’m a doctor, not an infant that needs to be taken care of – that’s  _your_  role.”  
  
James was sitting on his bed and watching Leonard get dressed. “Whether you see the reason or not, the fact still stands that I have a lot of free time today to bug you. So will you be a good doctor and stop after half a day of work or will I have to drop by every other hour to bully you into taking a break and to eat?”  
  
Leonard turned to their third party with a pleading look. “Mr. Spock, can’t you do something about him?”  
  
The Vulcan shook his head. “I’m afraid I have prior arrangements to meet with Nyota today.”  
  
The brunet rolled his eyes. “Dammit, man, you’re no help at all.”  
  
“You have my sincerest apologies, doctor.”  
  
Blue eyes blinked. “Wait, so her first name’s Nyota? How come you get to call her by her first name and I don’t?”  
  
Spock looked away. “I have no comment on the matter.”  
  
The blond pouted. “Fine, be that way. Anyways, Leonard, you never answered me. Deal or no deal?”  
  
“Alright, alright! I’ll agree to it if it’ll stop you from wrecking havoc in the hospital.”  
  
“And you promise that you’ll eat at least twice before getting off work?”  
  
Leonard snorted. “What are you, my mother?”  
  
James leered at him. “Would you like me to be? I’m always up for trying new things.”  
  
Throwing his hands up in exasperation, the doctor stormed over to the door. “Unbelievable! I’m heading out now. And yes, James, I promise I’ll eat at regular intervals, so don’t come around to bother me unless it’s absolutely necessary or I swear I’ll jab a needle in your eye. There’s going to be a lot infected people there and I don’t want either of you catching it, okay?”  
  
Both the blond and the Vulcan nodded in agreement.  
  
Leonard huffed. “Good. Now Spock, you make sure you treat Nyota properly and with respect, you hear me? She’s a lady, and if I hear that you’ve been anything but gentlemanly, I’m going to kick your Vulcan ass. And James, I’ll see you at five. Just wait outside for me, okay? And try not to get yourself punched in the face. I won’t get my hopes up though.”  
  
“Hey!”  
  
\--  
  
And so, they spent the next few days going through that routine. Leonard would go to the hospital while James took up random jobs wherever he could, and Spock spent all his waking hours with Uhura. The woman had developed a healthy love-hate relationship with James where he was obligated to flirt with her whenever they met and she was obligated to shoot him down.  
  
On multiple occasions, the singer invited them all for dinner, although the invitation usually went along the lines of: “Leonard, would you like to join us for dinner? And if you must, I suppose you can bring the loud and obnoxious one along too.”  
  
In response, James would always grin and give her a kiss on the cheek. “Why, Miss Uhura, how could I ever turn down such a heartfelt invitation? Should I bring pie? Or maybe dessert? I have Leonard’s family’s secret peach cobbler recipe memorized. I swear it’s the most delicious thing in the world. Should I wear my best suit?”  
  
Both Nyota and Leonard would then roll their eyes in exasperation.  
  
\--  
  
On that particular night, after they finished eating, Uhura had the slightest of smiles on her lips as she gave them both goodnight kisses on the cheek. “You boys have a safe trip back on your own now. I’m afraid S’chn T’gai will be staying the night.”  
  
The two of them gaped.  
  
Spock looked bashful which Leonard found surprisingly endearing. Clearing his throat, the doctor nodded and tugged at the blonde’s arm. “Alright then. Come on, James. Pick your jaw up off the ground and let these kiddies have their privacy. Goodnight. And don’t forget to use a contraceptive, you two; doctor’s orders.”  
  
Nyota started laughing while the Vulcan’s ears went red.  
  
Once outside, James stared at him, eyes wide in disbelief. “Did you hear that? I can’t believe she pronounced Spock’s name properly!”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes. “Of course that’s the only thing you’re concerned about.”  
  
“Well, it’s not the only thing.”  
  
Hazel eyes narrowed suspiciously at the blonde’s suggestive look. “I’m going to regret asking you, but what do you mean?”  
  
James grinned though he kept his voice warily low. “I mean, with Spock staying the night, we’ll get the room to ourselves tonight.”  
  
The doctor tried his best to suppress his blush and rolled his eyes. “You’re unbelievable, James.”   
  
“I try.”


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:  
  
Leonard couldn’t remember a time he got this worked up. Not even when he caught Jocelyn cheating on him did he feel this kind of desperation. Sitting on the bed, he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Do you have any idea how worried I was!? You went missing for  _two_  fucking days! I thought you were dead!”  
  
James smiled ruefully and cupped the doctor’s face. “I’m sorry, Leonard. I really am. You know the last thing I want to do is give you more things to worry about.”   
  
The brunet eyed him warily. “You say shit like that a lot, don’t you? I have absolutely no reason to believe anything you say, you asshole. At the end of the day, you’re still just some nutcase that got me kicked out of my own clinic by my staff.”  
  
“That’s true. I can’t deny any of that. But I wouldn’t go through the trouble of making peach cobbler and persuading a clinic to let go of their best doctor for just anyone. I swear getting nabbed by French outlaws was the last thing I wanted or expected to happen to me here.”  
  
Hazel eyes narrowed. “French outlaws!? Dammit, James, do you really expect me to believe that!?”  
  
The blond nodded seriously. “I do, because it’s the truth. I swear on my life it is. A couple of their members contracted the disease that’s been spreading, so they were getting desperate for a cure. I guess they saw me waiting for you outside the hospital or something and thought I was some sort of medical personnel.”  
  
Leonard stared at the other man in disbelief. “You’re being serious. Good god, you’re actually being serious about this. Wait, did they speak English at all? How do you even know all that stuff about them?”  
  
James shrugged. “On some days, while you’re at the hospital, I like to keep Spock and Miss Uhura company. And as a result, I ended up learning enough French from Miss Uhura to tell them that they were making a mistake and that by keeping me around, they’d only slow down your work on the cure.”  
  
The brunet’s eyebrows rose. “And you said all of that in French…”  
  
“Oui! C’est vrai! What can I say? I’m a fast learner. I mean, sure, maybe I can’t pronounce a word of Vulcan, but French is just fine for me. Those guys were really civil to me after that – even fed me before dropping me off back here. I told you, didn’t I? There’s no such thing as a no-win situation!”  
  
The doctor opened and closed his mouth a couple times. “If it’d been anyone else but you, I would’ve called bullshit. Dammit, James, how do you keep getting yourself into such unbelievable situations? Fuck, you’re such a disaster. Don’t  _ever_  go missing like that again. I’m too old for this shit.”  
  
Kissing the brunet, James reassured him, “I’ll try not to, Leonard. I’ll try my hardest not to.”  
  
“I still can’t believe it. French outlaws of all things…”  
  
The blond smiled. “Just think about what a great story this will make someday.” But then he took another look at the doctor and the smile disappeared off his face. “Leonard, did you get  _any_  sleep while I was gone?”  
  
“Don’t look so surprised that there are people who would actually lose sleep over worrying about you, Just James,” the brunet muttered miserably.  
  
“You know, for someone who’s always telling me to get a proper night’s sleep, you really need to take your own advice sometimes. Geoff was right. You’re only good at taking care of others. I can’t believe how helpless you can be sometimes.”  
  
Lying down, the doctor scowled. “And whose fault would that be? You’re the one who dragged me out of Atlanta, so now you’ve got to take responsibility for me.”  
  
James smiled and wrapped his arms around the other. “Alright, doc. I think I can do that – that’ll be  _your_  exclusive offer right there, Leonard. I’ll take responsibility for you so I guess you’re really stuck with me now. Come on, let’s get some sleep, or will you need to be worn out further?”  
  
Leonard snorted and turned to bury his face into his pillow. “Don’t even think about it, you damn infant. I’m still pissed as hell. And you better go see Spock and Nyota first thing in the morning. They’ve been worried about you too.”  
  
Softly, the blond nodded against his back. “I will. I promise I will.”  
  
“You’re still an asshole.”  
  
“I know. I’ll make it up to you somehow.”  
  
\--  
  
One evening, while the two of them were riding around the outskirts of the city because James insisted on giving his poor Enterprise her much needed exercise, they came across a gruesome sight. There was a man strung up and hanging limply from a tree. They stopped dead in their tracks and stared for a long moment before James got off his horse and jogged over. Urgently, he turned back to the doctor. “Leonard, come help me get him down from there!”  
  
Struck speechless, the brunet followed suit.  
  
After they got him down, Leonard examined the corpse. He concluded, “He’s been here for days now. The lynch mob must’ve just left him for dead…he was dead long before we ever got here, James. There’s nothing you could’ve done to help.”  
  
Untying the corpse’s string bowtie and taking his necklace off, James looked at him, grief-stricken. “Then help me bury him. It’s the least we can do for him. Tomorrow…tomorrow, I’ll go around and see if anyone recognizes his things.”  
  
They ended up digging the man a shallow grave with their bare hands, placing a rock on top as a marker.   
  
By the time they got back to the inn, cleaned themselves up, and addressed the scratches on their hands, they were too exhausted to do anything but curl up in each other’s arms and drift off into dreamless sleep.  
  
\--  
  
Leonard tried not to think about it too much but there was no getting away from it. One evening, he left the hospital and spotted James, waiting for him as usual, but the blond didn’t smile and wave at him as he normally did. Immediately sensing that something was off, the doctor walked over and gave him a once over. Wary of anyone who might be watching them, he hissed, “My god, man, have you been drinking? Never mind. Let’s just go back to the room. You can tell me about what happened there.”  
  
Blue eyes blinked. “Am I that obvious?”  
  
The doctor shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe. Or maybe I’ve just learnt to read you like a book.”  
  
James managed a weak smile at that. “I like the sound of that second option more.”  
  
“I thought you might.”  
  
\--  
  
“He was a musician, a trumpet player. He was part of a band and everything.”  
  
There was no doubt in Leonard’s mind who the blond was talking about. “So you found his family?”  
  
James dipped his head miserably. “It was his wife. She came running at me, demanding to know where I got the necklace. And when I told her, she broke down in front of me. I didn’t know what to do, Leonard. I just held her and I kept apologizing.”  
  
Leonard swallowed thickly and nodded wordlessly.  
  
“He’s got two kids. A sweet little girl and a son who wanted to grow up to be a musician just like his dad. Why?  _How_  can people do these things and not think twice about it? Maybe I shouldn’t have told them? If they never found out, then at least they’d still have hope.”  
  
Running a hand through the other’s hair gently, the brunet frowned. “Don’t be stupid, James. Of course you should’ve told them. They wouldn’t have been able to move on if they’re always wondering about their old man. If I die, I’d want someone to tell Joanna that her old man’s never coming back. I’d want someone to tell Christine and Geoff to stop expecting me to show up. And I’d want someone to tell you to stop looking for me.”  
  
Pinning the doctor down on the bed, the blond shook his head. “Don’t say things like that, Leonard. Nothing’s ever going to happen to you as long as I’m around. I’m responsible for you, remember? I gave you my word.”  
  
Hazel eyes blinked as hands slipped underneath his shirt. “James?”  
  
“Please. I need this, Leonard. I just…really need this right now.”  
  
Leonard nodded understandingly. “You’re okay, James. You’re okay.”

  
  
Later, after James collapsed on top of him, the blond asked, “How do you do it, Leonard? How can you still help these people after knowing what they’re capable of? I’m struggling right now. I don’t know if I can continue believing in them. Are there really good people in the world? I’m starting to think you’re just an exception.”  
  
Staring at the ceiling, Leonard replied, “I think there still are. I have to believe, if only for Joanna’s sake. I want to believe that my daughter will grow up in a world full of good people. And I want to believe that she’ll find someone nice who’ll treat her like gold. I won’t be happy about it, of course, but that’s what I want for her. I want her to grow up being able to trust people, and to see the good in them. If I don’t believe at least that much, I won’t know what to do with myself.”  
  
The blond smiled softly. “I think she’ll grow up to be a fine young lady. She takes after you – a little Leonard running around, it makes me smile just thinking about it.” Then after a pause, he added, “I guess I could do that.”  
  
“Do what?”  
  
“Believe for the sake of someone else. You can be my reason to believe. Maybe a day will come when you’ll be able to treat all the sick people in the world and actually be appreciated for it.”  
  
Leonard snorted. “Sweet talking thing, aren’t you? But instead of talking about the future, you know what you can do  _right now_?”  
  
“I’m all ears.”  
  
“You can either put that dick of yours to good use or get it out of my goddamn ass.”  
  
James laughed. “Who’s the sweet talking thing now?”  
  
\--  
  
It took two months for the cure to be found. They held a celebratory dinner at the tavern Uhura performed at. James grinned and raised his glass. “To the world’s greatest doctor, Leonard McCoy. If he lives to be 100, we’ll never have to worry about diseases again.”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes. “That’d only be true if you let me give you the vaccinations instead of running away like you always do, James.”  
  
“I can’t help it! Whenever I see a needle, my legs just take off on their own! I have no control over it! It doesn’t help that they’re really painful!”  
  
“Oh, so you don’t think getting punched in the face is that painful, but needles are?”  
  
Jutting his lower lip out, the blond whined, “I don’t like getting punched either, but needles sting like a bitch!”  
  
“Watch your language, James. There’s a lady present.”  
  
Uhura smiled. “Don’t mind me, Leonard. I’m used to his language. It’s certainly not the worst I’ve heard.”  
  
James smirked triumphantly at the doctor. “Did you hear that? She doesn’t mind.”  
  
After having sat in silence for awhile, Spock spoke up, “James? May I inquire what your plans are now that Doctor McCoy’s aid is no longer needed here?”  
  
James turned to the Vulcan. “That’s an excellent question, Mr. Spock. I was actually planning on bringing that topic up during dinner. We plan on leaving New Orleans in a couple days, and I need to know if you plan on staying here with Miss Uhura or coming with us?” Then he smiled. “Of course, my invitation’s extended to you as well, Miss Uhura, you’re free to travel with us if you so please. We’d be delighted to have you come along, though this also means that you’ll have to learn to put up with me on a daily basis.”  
  
The singer blinked. “You want me to come along with you?”  
  
The blond nodded. “Why not? You’re pleasant company. You didn’t think I’d force you and Spock up to split up, did you? Surely Mr. Spock’s told you about what we’re hoping to achieve by now.”  
  
“You want to start a town that’s free of segregation and you want to help people along the way.”  
  
“That sums it up pretty nicely.”  
  
Uhura frowned in concern. “It’s a crazy dream.”  
  
James smiled and shrugged. “Maybe. But if you can dream it, you can make it happen. There’s no such thing as a no-win situation. And I know it’s not just nonsense because I’ve got the country’s best doctor and a very logical Vulcan buying into the idea. So what do you say, lady with the most talented tongue in the nation?”  
  
The woman rolled her eyes. “I say you’re an asshole, James.”  
  
The blond laughed. “Only sometimes, but you’ll get used to it. Take your time and think it through, we won’t be leaving for another couple days. The guys at the hospital aren’t finished worshipping the great Doctor McCoy yet. They’re still trying to convince him to stay.”  
  
Uhura looked over at the doctor. “And why  _don’t_  you stay?”  
  
Leonard pointed at James. “Because I have a crazy man towing me from state to state? I thought that part was obvious. If I really wanted to settle down and stay somewhere, I would’ve stayed in Georgia near my friends and family. Besides, I’m just a simple country doctor, what place do I have in a big, established hospital full of influential people? I’m better suited to treating normal people that actually need help.”  
  
The singer studied the trio for a moment. “I’m not sure if you’re all really brave or just crazy idealists.”  
  
James leaned back in his seat. “That’s a pretty good question. What do you think, Leonard? Are we brave or crazy?”  
  
“Crazy and all kinds of stupid.” The doctor snorted and took a bite of his dinner.  
  
Uhura nodded in agreement. “All kinds of stupid indeed. Are you sure you want me to come with you? To be realistic, it’ll probably bring you more trouble than you already have.”  
  
“I wouldn’t worry about that.” The blond tried to shove a forkful of food into his mouth but got it all over his shirt instead. Brushing the food off his shirt, he laughed sheepishly. “Pretend you didn’t see that. Anyways, you’ll have nothing to be afraid of, Miss Uhura. You’ll have three big, burly men around to protect you.”  
  
The singer chuckled and looked her companions skeptically. “Three big, burly men? Right…how very reassuring.”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes. “Aside from that, you won’t cause us anymore trouble than we already face. As you know, this idiot here has a habit of running face first into fists and trouble. You can’t be any worse than him.”  
  
Uhura nodded. “That’s true. I’ll have to think about it. My home is here, after all.”  
  
“There’s no hurry, darlin’. It’s not a light decision to be making.”  
  
\--  
  
Two days later, the four of them stood in front of the tavern, stupefied.   
  
Before them, the building was alit and burning to the ground. Nyota stood there, hands over her mouth in shock and tears running down her cheeks. “No…how did this happen? Who did this!?”  
  
Spock quickly took her into his arms and held her tight, shielding her from the sight.

  
  
That night, James and Leonard were sitting around their room, drinking and discussing the events that transpired that day. “It wasn’t an accident. Why don’t people care? I don’t understand it.”  
  
The doctor took a sip from his glass and didn’t reply.  
  
“This wasn’t how I wanted her to make her choice.”  
  
Looking up from his drink, Leonard spoke softly, “James….”  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
Quickly getting up, the blond headed for the door and asked, “Who is it?”  
  
Spock’s voice came through. “James, it’s us. Please let us in.”  
  
Swinging the door open, James blinked. “Why are you guys here? Did something happen?”  
  
Controlled as usual, the Vulcan led the distressed woman inside and explained, “I’m afraid Nyota’s quarters were broken into a little while ago. We will have to stay here tonight.”  
  
Leonard immediately got up and began scanning them over for injuries. “Broken into? Jesus, are you two alright?”  
  
Uhura nodded, trying to keep her composure. “We’re fine, Leonard, just a little shaken – or at least I am. Spock heard the intruders and we got out before they found us. Do you think this is related to the fire? They found bodies in the rubble. People died in that fire and no one’s doing anything about it. What’s happened to this city?”  
  
Pouring her a drink, the doctor shook his head. “I’m so sorry, darlin’.”  
  
“I’ll never come back.” There was cold resolve in her voice, even as she wiped the tears from her eyes.  
  
There was no turning back after that.  
  
\--  
  
James let out an impressed whistle as he rode past Uhura. “I was always under the impression that you’d have a lot more things to bring with you. But then again, I never expected you to own a horse or a gun either. Why are you still dressed like a man?”  
  
The singer rolled her eyes. “Have you ever tried riding long distances in a dress? I’ll let you borrow one of my dresses if you want to try it out.”  
  
“Maybe I’ll take you up on that offer another time,” the blond replied with a wink.   
  
Spock raised a brow. “James, do you know where our next destination is?”  
  
“Tell me, Mr. Spock. Do you believe in serendipity?”  
  
The Vulcan didn’t look impressed. “Are you suggesting that we leave our decision making to chance? That is a most illogical way to decide on a destination.”  
  
The blond shrugged with an easy smile on his lips. “It’s always worked for me. Where we’ll go, nobody knows.”  
  
Hours later, Leonard was pretty sure Uhura regretted her decision to tag along when James asked her, “So, Miss Uhura, has Spock told you about pon farr? Are you excited?  _I’m_  excited and I’m not even going to take part in it – unless offered, of course.”  
  
Slowing her horse’s gait down, the singer looked up and took a deep breath, confirming the doctor’s suspicions. “Oh…my god, I can’t believe I actually thought this was a good idea.”  
  
Leonard smiled sympathetically. “You’ll get over the self-hate after a couple days.”  
  
\--  
  
A year went by and they found themselves back in Georgia. Much to Leonard’s relief, his clinic was still standing and the staff members were still healthy and alive. After a week of reassuring Chapel that none of them were underweight or malnourished, they were given permission to leave Atlanta for a second time.   
  
His second goodbye with his friends wasn’t nearly as difficult as what came next in Savannah.   
  
“Daddy? Are coloured people bad?”  
  
Leonard froze. “What? No. Why would you say that, Jo? Did someone tell you that?”  
  
Joanna curled up next to him and shrugged. “No. But why aren’t they allowed to do the same things as us? There was this girl at school. She was supposed to be in my class, but she was only there for one day though. They said she wasn’t allowed in my school so the kids said that she probably wasn’t smart enough.”   
  
“Do you think that’s why she wasn’t allowed in your school?”  
  
The girl shook her head guiltily. “No. She seemed nice when I said hi to her.”   
  
The doctor nodded. “That’s good. So why would you think she or other people with different skin colours be anything but nice?”  
  
Joanna shrugged. “To be honest, I’m not sure, daddy. But if they’re all nice, why are there those signs all over town? Why can’t we all eat at the same restaurant or go to the same school?”  
  
Taking a moment to consider his possible answers, in the end, he went with: “It’s because whoever made up those rules wasn’t a doctor. Those signs don’t mean anything about anyone.”  
  
“So it’s a stupid rule then? Uncle James told me that he broke a lot of rules before and got into a lot of trouble for it. But he said that sometimes, we have stupid rules that aren’t fair and people get hurt because of it. He said that they have to be broken or stood up to and questioned, or else no one will ever fix them. Is that true, daddy?”  
  
Leonard’s instinctive response was to say, ‘Yes, of course.’   
  
But it was closely followed with, ‘But not by you.’   
  
He stopped himself before either of those thoughts was voiced. Although he fervently believed that people needed to stand up to unjust rules, he didn’t want his daughter being one of those people – not when she could be hurt because of it.   
  
Slowly collecting his thoughts, he began, “It’s true, darlin’. There are dumb rules out there that need to be broken and there are all sorts of brave folks out there trying to fix them.  _But_ , you also need to know that it’s very dangerous. The people trying to change these rules, a lot of the times, they get into trouble or even hurt because not everyone thinks change is needed. Now, I’m not going to tell you what to do, but if you ever think about breaking dumb rules, at least think about the consequences, okay?”  
  
Absorbing his words, the little girl pursed her lips in thought. “I understand, daddy. You know, I think Uncle James is really brave. For standing up to stupid rules – even though he got into trouble for it before.”  
  
The doctor nodded. “I’d have to agree with you there.”  
  
Smiling, Joanna continued, “Uncle James said that the world would be a lot nicer if you ran it, daddy. He said that if you were in charge, the only sign we’d see would be ‘people who need help here.’”  
  
Leonard snorted. “Is that so? Darlin’, you seem awfully fond of talking about James. Is there something you want to tell your old man?”  
  
The girl giggled and shook her head. “No, daddy, he’s a  _boy_! That’s _gross!”_  
  
He raised his brow and tried his best to keep his tone serious. “Oh? Even though he promised to teach you to ride?”  
  
She nodded decisively. “Even though he promised to teach me to ride. I like Uncle James lots, but not like  _that_.”  
  
“Yeah? Why do you like him then?”  
  
Joanna beamed as she began counting off the reasons. “I like Uncle James because he’s really brave, and fun, and he doesn’t treat me like a kid like the way other adults do. But most of all, I like him because he cares about you almost as much as I do!”  
  
Listening to her chatter away excitedly about her newest hero, all he could do was smile and mentally thank the world for giving him such a beautiful gift.  
  
Suddenly, she asked, “Daddy?”  
  
“What is it, darlin’?”  
  
Her eyes were so bright; filled with hope and joy, and curiosity that it took his breath away. “Do you like Uncle James too?”  
  
He paused for a moment and then nodded. “Yeah, darlin'. I like him too.”  
  
\--  
  
A few days later, Leonard decided to leave his daughter in the care of his three companions for a few hours in favour of running a ‘personal errand.’ He walked down the road and through fields that he once knew as well as his clinic and wound up standing in front of his father’s grave.  
  
Silently, he stared at it.  
  
There laid the man he killed.   
  
The guilt never went away, not even after all those years.   
  
He was so lost in his thoughts that he never noticed footsteps approaching until a voice spoke up from behind him. “Joanna said you’d be here…”  
  
Turning around, he tried to mask his surprise by asking, “What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be riding with her.”  
  
James smiled. “We rode around for a bit, but then she got bored of me and decided that the other two would make better company. She’s got us all wrapped around her finger. I never expected to see Spock playing pretend with a little girl.”  
  
The doctor chuckled. “I can’t even imagine that.”  
  
“Yeah. That’s quite a kid you’ve got there, Leonard. Did you know? She wants to grow up to be a doctor like you so that she can help you take care of people. Not even Miss Uhura’s stories about princesses and dragons could persuade her otherwise.”  
  
“What can I say? Stubbornness is a McCoy trait, I guess,” he drawled affectionately.  
  
“She was worried about you.”  
  
“What? Why?”  
  
“Because according to her, whenever you visit ‘grandpa’s grave,’ you always look ‘really sad’.”  
  
Leonard sighed. “Yeah, well, murdering a man will do that to you. I never told you about it, did I? About how I killed my old man…”  
  
The blond stared at him in disbelief.  
  
“So much for being ethical and brave, right? I did it with a morphine injection. He’d been sick for months and at the end of it, he looked at me and said, ‘Son. No more. Please, just let me die with my dignity intact. I want to go now. Just let me rest in peace.’ So I did it.”  
  
Leaning lightly against him, James shook his head. “It’s not the same. You put him out of his misery.”  
  
The doctor snorted. “Don’t make excuses for me. Ending a person’s life on purpose is the same as killing them. That’s all there is to it.”  
  
“No. I disagree. Don’t put yourself in the same category as the actual murderers out there. You did it for the sake of ending his pain and preserving his dignity. It’s not the same.” He leaned in closer. “It doesn’t matter anyways. You’re my responsibility so I’ll be accountable for your actions.”  
  
Leonard frowned. “You can’t do that. That’s against the rules. It happened before I ever met you.”  
  
“That’s a dumb rule so I’m going to break it. I said I’d be responsible for you so I’m going to be responsible for all of you – and that includes your past. Don’t argue with me on this, Leonard.”  
  
“Why? Why go through all this trouble for me? You’ve got enough on your plate as it is.”  
  
James merely smiled at him. “You’re worth all that trouble and more.”  
  
The weight in his chest lifted. Sighing in defeat, the doctor rolled his eyes. “You’re really seven kinds of stupid, Just James.”  
  
“I’ve got to say, doc, I love it when you call me that.” Then he stepped back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “There’s nothing I’d like to do more than to just hold you right now.”  
  
Although Leonard felt the same way, he immediately shot the other a wary expression. “We can’t do that. You’re going to get us killed.”  
  
The blond shrugged ruefully. “I know. Maybe that’ll change someday. Maybe in the future, we won’t have separate facilities based on race, and maybe two guys will be able to hug in public without being attacked.”  
  
Cuffing James’ arm affectionately, the brunet chuckled. “Your dreams just keep getting bigger and bigger, don’t they?”  
  
“It’s all for you, doc. It’s all for you.”  
  
\--  
  
As they roamed, they buried any lynching victims they came across and tried to locate their loved ones when possible – every incident as heartbreaking as the last.   
  
It wasn’t until a few months later that James decided to that the eastern half of the country was no longer suffice. Walking down a street in Texas and discussing their future travel plans, James pointed at the imaginary map in front of him. “Let’s say this is America. We’re right around here at the moment, and we’ve been to all the states around here. I think it’s about time we started making our way west. Northwest. What are your thoughts on seeing the Pacific Ocean?”  
  
Uhura raised a brow. “Northwest? How far ‘northwest’ are you planning to go? Why not just go all the way up to Canada?”  
  
“Because you and Leonard are from way down South,” the blond replied easily. “ _I’m_  up for it, but you two would never survive the frigid weather up there. So it’s mostly for your sake that I’m not suggesting we go straight up. I bet you’ve never even seen snow before.”  
  
“Snow? I’ve  _heard_  of it. It sounds like unnatural stuff…” Leonard muttered.  
  
“I’m afraid that that’s an illogical conclusion to make, doctor. Snow is merely frozen water, much like ice. So it would be impossible for snow to be unnatural unless ice and water are also unnatural. And I can assure you, water is very natural, so by that logic, snow is also natural.”  
  
The doctor nodded slowly. “Thank you for that, Mr. Spock.”  
  
Their banter continued until they noticed a man riding alarmingly fast towards them. With a gun in his hand, he cocked and aimed it.  
  
Shots rang out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:  
  
James lifted his head after the rider disappeared from sight and quickly turned to the others. “Is everyone alright?”  
  
“Spock! Answer me, Spock!” came Uhura’s panicked scream.   
  
Leonard immediately ran over to the Vulcan’s aid. Looking around, the doctor snapped at a larger man who poked his head out to find out what’d happened. “You, there! Yeah, I’m talking to you. Dammit, man, focus! Come over here and help me bring him to the hospital while I continue applying pressure to his wound!  _ **Now**_!”  
  
Too shocked to protest, the stranger did as he was told and picked Spock up while Leonard continued dressing the wound. Without another word, the two ran down the street towards the nearest hospital.   
  
Uhura glanced over at James before running after them. “What are you standing there and gawking for? Come on!”  
  
Snapped out of his stupor, the blond nodded and took off after the doctor.  
  
\--  
  
At the hospital, Leonard barged in without a second thought. Doctors and nurses immediately stopped what they were doing to stare. Scowling, he bellowed authoritatively, “Where’s your emergency room!? My name’s Doctor Leonard McCoy and this man needs immediate medical attention!”  
  
No one moved.  
  
“For god’s sake – don’t just stand there! Do any of you actually  _work_  here!?”  
  
Then the director showed up. “Take that man to the operating room. Hello, Doctor McCoy, I’m Doctor Puri, the director of this hospital. Feel free to use our facilities as you see fit to save that man’s life. It’s an honour having you here.”  
  
Leonard spared the director a moment to acknowledge his presence before running down the hall after the man who was still carrying Spock and the nurses went to assist him.  
  
\--  
  
Outside the hospital, James froze when he saw the sign ‘Whites Only’ hanging on the door. Images of his father and Sam immediately popped into his head, causing his breath to get caught in his throat. Pulling Uhura back by the arm, he stammered, “Maybe we should wait out here. Leonard’s got it all under control.”  
  
The woman stared at him in disbelief. Then she noticed the sign and turned back to him, her surprise replaced with anger. “You’re a coward,” she hissed so venomously it caused him to flinch. “Spock just got  _shot_  and if you think some stupid sign’s going to stop me from going in there, you need to think again.”  
  
James stood there, looking like he had just been slapped. When Doctor Puri came outside to find out what the commotion was about, the blond took a deep breath and drew deep on the courage he didn’t feel and walked over to the director before Uhura could. “How’s that man Doctor McCoy just brought in? We need to see him.”  
  
The director raised a brow, voice maintaining a professional tone. “Doctor McCoy is currently operating on the man. I’m afraid you two,” he glanced pointedly over at the woman, “will have to wait out there. Who are you, anyway?”  
  
Uhura opened her mouth but was cut off by James. “We’re personal acquaintances of Doctor McCoy. And not only that, but this woman here is the wife of that man whose life he’s saving right now. Isn’t it only proper for immediate family to be allowed to be by their loved ones side after an emergency? I know Doctor McCoy’s a strong believer in that rule. I might also add that he’s a very strong believer in treating all women with respect.”  
  
Puri studied the two skeptically. “You’re Doctor McCoy’s personal acquaintances…”  
  
Ignoring his heart pounding against his ribs, the blond nodded and continued, carefully keeping his voice nonchalant, “That’s right. If you don’t believe me, you can go ask him yourself, although I know for a fact that there’s  _nothing_  he hates more than being interrupted in the middle of surgery. Now, I suppose you can either leave us out here and wait until McCoy asks after us – he probably won’t be very happy at that point – or you can let us wait inside and I’ll put in a good word for you and see if the good doctor will warm to the idea of helping out while we’re here.”  
  
“Well, you’ve hardly left me a choice, Mr.…?”  
  
“James. And this here’s Mrs. Spock.”  
  
The director nodded curtly, clearly dissatisfied at his lack of options. “Very well, Mr. James, Mrs. Spock, if you’ll come inside, I’ll have someone take you to the private resting room upstairs where your friend and husband will be resting after the surgery. Of course, I hope you won’t find my request that you remain inside that room during your stay here too unreasonable.”  
  
James shrugged. “Not at all. It’s better than standing out here, so thank you.” At the door, he held it open and made an exaggerated sweeping motion. “After you, Mrs. Spock.”  
  
Uhura shot the blond a grateful look before following the doctor inside.  
  
Once in the room and left on their own, James blurted out, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to – I shouldn’t have said anything earlier.”  
  
The singer looked over and waved it off. “It’s fine, James. It doesn’t matter. You got us in here and that’s what counts.”  
  
He shook his head. “No. It matters because we’ll be travelling together and I might do something stupid like that again. I…” he took a deep breath, “I’d like for you to know why I reacted the way I did. Will you hear me out – at least until Leonard’s finished? Please?”  
  
Surprised by his earnestness, Uhura nodded.  
  
\--  
  
When Leonard wheeled the injured Vulcan into the room, James was nowhere to be seen. The nurses quickly helped transfer Spock onto the bed before leaving the room. Uhura immediately began checking over the Vulcan’s bandaged torso. “How is he?”  
  
The doctor shrugged. “He’ll be just fine. It could’ve been worse. No major organs were hit and the bullet went right through. Of course, if it’d taken any longer to get here, it might’ve been life threatening. But I guess Mr. Spock’s got a lot of luck on his side.”  
  
She had tears in her eyes. “Thank you for saving him, Leonard.”   
  
“There’s no need to thank me, Nyota. I’m just doing my job.” Then he looked around the room. “So I was told that Just James struck again and convinced Puri to let the two of you in. But apparently that was an understatement because you’re currently sitting in a private suite that’s usually reserved for governors and other important people.”  
  
Uhura snorted. “They probably don’t want the public knowing we’re here. James told the guy that we were your personal acquaintances. He also told the director that I was Spock’s wife and then bribed him with your time.”  
  
Leonard chuckled. “No such thing as a no-win situation, hmm? As long as it worked. We won’t be leaving here until Spock’s back on his feet anyhow. And Puri’s been kind enough to let us all stay here in the meantime so a little of my time’s the least I can give them. By the way, where’s James?”  
  
“I think he went for a drink.” More softly, she added, “He said he had a flashback earlier.”  
  
The brunet sighed and massaged his temples. “Is that right? I guess I better go find him before he makes an ass of himself again. But then again, knowing him, he’s probably gotten into a fight already.” He gestured towards the Vulcan. “Spock shouldn’t be up until the morning, so try to get some rest, Nyota.”  
  
“I’ll try, Leonard. Thanks. And make sure James is okay, will you?”  
  
“I’m too old for this shit.”   
  
But despite his words, he nodded and stepped out of the room.  
  
\--  
  
Leonard found James in the saloon just down the street from the hospital. Standing next to him, he asked, “James, how many bottles have you had?”  
  
Surprised, the blond turned to him and grinned. “Leonard! You found me! Look! I didn’t get into a fight! Aren’t you proud of me? And I’ve had many,  _many_  beers! If you want an exactly number…well, I couldn’t give you one. But it was probably a pretty big number!”  
  
The doctor sighed. There went the possibility of sitting down and enjoying a drink. “You’ve had enough, that’s how many you’ve had.”  
  
“Can I please have one more? Mr. Bartender! One more!”  
  
Before he could protest, a bottle of beer slid down the counter. Leonard rolled his eyes. “Dammit, man, I’m a doctor, not a babysitter. Okay, you sit tight and finish your beer while I go sort out your tab and get something for the road.”  
  
About fifteen minutes later, Leonard found himself being a human crutch for James as he stumbled down the street. The blond leaned heavily against him and slurred, “You know, I told Uhura about my old man and Sam – by the way, she told me to drop the ‘Miss’. She still won’t formally give me her first name but I think I made progress, don’t you? So I told her everything and she goes ‘I can see why Leonard’s so attached to you.’ What does that even mean? Wait, hold up. I may or may not have to throw up. Let me go check.”  
  
Veering towards an alleyway, the doctor waited as James emptied his stomach, keeping an eye on him in case the blond suddenly decided to keel over and drown himself in his own vomit. As he watched James, hunched over and bracing the wall for support, Leonard realized with great dismay that somehow, he had fallen hopelessly in love with Just fucking James.  
  
_‘Because nothing says love like watching someone vomit in an alleyway. At least this explains a lot of the dumb choices I’ve made. You always did have the best taste in people, Leonard,’_  he thought sarcastically to himself.  
  
Rubbing James on the back, Leonard asked, “Feeling better?”  
  
“A little,” the blond admitted, sounding a little more sober than he had a minute ago. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “God, I must look so attractive right now.”  
  
Leonard shrugged. “Yeah, well, not many people can pull off throwing up in an alley quite as well as you. I almost wish we had a painter with us to preserve that beautiful moment.”  
  
James chuckled. “You’re such a cantankerous grump sometimes.”  
  
“Big words for a guy who just threw up in an alley. That’s what you get for not waiting for me to drink.”  
  
“Sorry, I’ll keep that in mind next time.” Then more seriously, James turned to him. “Leonard, I don’t know if I can do this. Maybe we should just go home.”  
  
A wave of anxiety hit him. Making a conscious effort to keep his voice leveled, Leonard frowned. “That’s just crazy talk. Come on, you drunk. Let’s get you back to the room first. We can talk about this after.”  
  
  
The stairs were a lot more manageable with one of them sober. Once in the room next to Spock’s, Leonard set James down onto the bed and walked over to the table to open his bottle of whiskey. After a couple large swigs, he nodded to the blond. “Alright, I think I’m ready to deal with whatever moronic thing you were about to say.”  
  
A part of him was hoping that the other man would’ve forgotten whatever he was about to say on the streets. But no such luck.   
  
James looked over at him blearily. “I really don’t know if I can do this. Maybe this was all a terrible idea after all. I’m not good enough.”  
  
In the back of his mind, Leonard told himself that James’ confidence and mood always plummeted after a flashback, and that it was a stupid idea trying to talk to a drunk, but his frustration got the best of him.   
“It’s been over a year, James. You can’t just suddenly say things like that.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“Three of us. You uprooted three of us from our homes. I don’t even like travelling and here I am, in the middle of fucking Texas and arguing with a drunk. My daughter looks up to you, dammit! If you’re going to give up and send us home, then I’m going to drag your sorry ass back to Georgia so you can explain to her how we stopped because you decided  _on your own_  that you’re not good enough.”  
  
James frowned. “Spock just got shot today, Leonard!”  
  
“And he survived! We’re all going to get hurt at some point, James! It’s unavoidable – you of all people should know! You’re the one who nearly got skewered by a fucking deer! And unless you’re the one holding the damn gun, then you can’t blame yourself for it!”  
  
Blue eyes grew misty. “The whole time, I kept thinking of Sam…. I don’t want to have to bury anymore people I care about, Leonard. And if anything were to happen to you….”  
  
Unable to stay upset at the blond when he was making such a sad face, Leonard walked over to and flicked James’ nose with a scowl. “Nothing’s going to happen to me. If you want me to live a longer, happier life, than stop saying such moronic things because at the moment, I’m more likely to die from a heart attack from your idiocy than anything.   
  
“Now you better listen real good, you damn drunk. After Spock gets better, we’re heading west – or northwest, or wherever the fuck you want to go, okay? But for now, you need to drink some water before you go to bed or you’ll regret it later. If it’s still bothering you in the morning, we’ll talk then, okay?”  
  
“Yes, doc.” Obediently emptying the glass of water that was handed to him, the blond lay down and closed his eyes wearily. “You’re too good for me, Leonard. If I could, I’d give you the world.”  
  
Brushing strands of hair out of James’ face, Leonard couldn’t help but notice how young the blond looked while he was asleep. It was nothing like the look of pain he saw a moment ago. “You’re such a dumbass sometimes,” he muttered quietly to the sleeping man. “I don’t need the world, I’m perfectly happy with just James.”   
  
\--  
  
That conversation was never brought up again.  
  
\--  
  
A week later, while helping out with rounds, Leonard heard a familiar voice calling out his name. Raising a brow, he made his way to the entrance of the hospital where a crowd of nurses and doctor had gathered. “James? What the hell’s going on?”  
  
“Leonard? Leonard! Out here! Fuck, they won’t let me in! This guy’s been shot!”  
  
Hazel eyes widened as he looked at the people standing around the door. “Why’s everyone just standing around!?”  
  
There was hesitant silence until one of the staff spoke up, “I’m sorry, sir, but it’s against our policy here to treat people of colour. We have a sign for a reason and we can’t do anything until the director gets here.”  
  
“Oh for crying out loud – and you have the nerve to call yourselves doctors and nurses!?”  
  
“Leonard!”  
  
Grabbing the sheets off a bed nearby, he pushed past the crowd to find James standing there, supporting a semi-conscious man in his arms. Spreading the sheets on the ground, he instructed, “Lay him down and go get my kit from the room. And get Nyota, I’m going to need her help since there are clearly  _no_  trained medical staff at this damn hospital.”   
  
James nodded. “Got it.”  
  
Kneeling down by the man, he asked, “Sir, can you hear me? My name’s Leonard McCoy. I’m a doctor and I’m going to help you, okay? It looks like the bullet’s still in there so I’ll have to remove it. It’s going to be quite painful, but you’ll have to bear with it.”  
  
Within a minute, the blond was back with his medical kit and Uhura by his side. Setting to work immediately, he barked out orders to the two. “Both of you will have to wear gloves. James, for now, keep him still and keep him talking until the anesthetic’s ready. Nyota, I’m going to need all those bottles you see in there. They should be labeled. I’ll need ether, alcohol and chloroform. And I’ll need the iodine too, for the wound. There should also be matches and a candle of some sort in there. I’m going to need you to run the tips of my scalpel and tongs over the fire to sterilize them – but keep that flame away from the bottles. This stuff’s flammable.”  
  
The three of them worked in front of the hospital for well over an hour before the bullet was removed and the wound stitched up. Leonard’s back ached from having to kneel there, hunched over during the entire operation. When he was finally able to sit back up, he could hear his vertebrae popping, reminding him of better times. But at least the man was happily resting with his shoulder neatly bandaged up.  
  
James and Uhura were grinning widely at him.   
  
The happiness was contagious and Leonard couldn’t help but smile back. “Good work, you two. Looks like I’ll be counting on the both of you next time something like this comes up. Now I guess all we can do is wait for him to wake up and escort him home since they won’t admit him here.”   
  
The blond laughed. “You hear that, Uhura? We just got complimented by the great Doctor McCoy.”  
  
Uhura raised a brow teasingly. “I have to say, James, I was very surprised that you not only managed to sit still the entire time, but you didn’t set anything on fire or catch on fire yourself.”  
  
“Hey! I’m not  _that_  bad!”  
  
The doctor snorted. “Yes you are. You managed to drop my daughter’s book into the only puddle in Georgia in the middle of summer.”   
  
James frowned. “That was an accident! And Joanna forgave me, so you should too! Besides, I’m accident and injury prone, not catch-on-fire prone.”  
  
“I beg the difference.” He was about to say more when he noticed a mother standing there with her child beside her. “Yes, ma’am?”  
  
The woman hesitated. “My daughter’s sick. This hospital wouldn’t treat her the last time I brought her, but I saw you helping that man…will you please help her? I have the money to pay for the treatment.”  
  
“Of course. I don’t actually work at this hospital, but I’m a doctor.” Leonard shot the audience by the door a pointed look and walked over and crouched down in front of the little girl. “Hi there, darlin’, my name’s Doctor McCoy. Can you point to where you’re not feeling well? Nyota, why don’t you go check on Spock? James, pass me my stethoscope and a tongue depressor, please.”  
  
  
Within a couple hours, there was a line up in front of the hospital and Leonard had to send people into town to buy more supplies. Eventually, a couple of the nurses and doctors began stepping in to help. Then the director returned. “Doctor McCoy, what is the meaning of this!?”  
  
Not turning away from his patient, the doctor replied nonchalantly, “Just doing my job, Doctor Puri. I don’t want to be ungrateful for everything you’ve done for us, so if this is causing you any trouble, just let me know and I’ll move my operations elsewhere.” And he was only half bluffing when he added, “James is talking to the mayor right now. He paid us a visit and didn’t seem particularly happy about all this, but I’m sure James will get him to change his mind and provide us with a proper place to work at.”   
  
The director opened and closed his mouth a couple times before sputtering, “Fine, but who are all these people and why are they here?”  
  
“These are the patients your hospital’s denied treatment to. And they’re here because they need medical services. I was forced to operate on a man out here earlier when your staff refused him entry. Now, I don’t really care if you’ve got that sign on your door or not, that’s your policy and your choice – I can and will respect that.  
  
“But when majority of your staff can watch a man bleed out in front of them and not do anything about it, then I have to question their whether or not they were actually trained to be doctors and nurses. This is the only well managed hospital in the area, when you deny people treatment, you’re practically sending them to their deaths.”  
  
Puri frowned. “And what do you want me to do about it? I respect you deeply as a doctor and surgeon, McCoy, but I won’t put my staff at risk. If we open the hospital to the general public, people will protest and get violent. And this isn’t a charity.”  
  
Leonard raised a brow. “While I understand what you’re getting at, there are two points I’d like to raise. First, these people aren’t looking for charity. I’ve received payments from every single one of them. Some were able to pay the standard price and some weren’t, but no one’s gotten any free treatment. Second, if this is the only fully functioning hospital in the area, I doubt anyone will risk putting you out of business. And you see all these chairs around here? The patients brought them in from their homes and workplaces. If you help people, they’ll go out of their way to help you back – that’s what I’ve found from my experience in Atlanta anyways.”  
  
The director heaved an exasperated sigh and asked, “So what would you have me do?”  
  
The brunet shrugged and turned to his next patient. “I wouldn’t have you do anything. This is your hospital, not mine – although I feel like I should mention that I’ve probably seen more patients today than most of your staff in a month.”  
  
“Yes, I understand that because of our policy, we’ve turned down a lot of patients. But if I were to change it, what would I do about the staff that refuse to treat these patients?”  
  
“That’s a political problem, not a medical one. Speaking strictly from a medical point of view, I’d just send them home. They clearly have no medical training if they don’t understand that all the people on this planet are just humans – and until someone finds me a person who bleeds green instead of red, I’ll stand by that statement.”   
  
Puri shook his head and chuckled in exasperation. “Seeing the kind of doctor you are, McCoy, I’m pretty sure you’d tried to treat them anyway. Tell you what, I don’t want to be known as the first person to deny Leonard McCoy the right to treat people – especially after you managed to bring in so much business – so I’ll annul the policy for the time being and let the staff carry on what they’re doing. But when that day comes when it becomes a law, I can’t promise that sign will stay off.”  
  
“Let’s hope that day never comes then.” Leonard smiled. “You should probably take note of all the nurses and doctor helping right now. They’ll be your most reliable staff members during times of need, guaranteed.”  
  
The director looked around and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind. Now, McCoy, you’re still young so as your elder, I feel like I should tell you that the path you’re treading on is a dangerous one but you’re clearly not going to budge when it comes to your ethics. It’s very admirable but it’s going to bring you trouble no matter where you go. And I’d like to offer you a position here but I don’t think you’d accept.”  
  
The brunet shot Puri a rueful look and shook his head. “You got that right. I appreciate your concern and offer, but I’m afraid we’ve got plans to head west next. Besides, I know for a fact, that if we stay any longer than absolutely necessary, James is going to get himself hospitalized. And when that happens, your staff will be so preoccupied with trying to keep him confined to his bed that you’ll probably kick us out of town.”  
  
The director let out a laugh. “You’re exaggerating.”  
  
“I wish,” he muttered back.  
  
“Well, speak of the devil…”  
  
From afar, voices could be heard.  
  
“Mr. James, I think it’d be better if you let a doctor look at that.”  
  
“To be perfectly honest, sir, I’d rather not. Leonard practically breathes fire when he gets mad.”  
  
Leonard could feel his irritation spike as he momentarily looked away from his patient. “James, you get over here, right now.” The only reason he refrained from cussing was because there were women and children around.  
  
A moment later, James appeared with the mayor by his side, an innocent grin on his face, and a black eye. “Hey, Leonard, how’s it going with everything here? Look, I saved the mayor from a drunk on the way here!”  
  
The only thing that stopped him from punching the blond in the other eye was when the mayor went up to the director and demanded, “Doctor Puri, you and your team absolutely must take care of all these people.”  
  
From beside him, the blond said quietly, “I was right. Look at us, Leonard. We really are changing the world for the better, one place at a time.”  
  
There was no doubt in Leonard’s mind that he was still gaping like an idiot. “How did you get the mayor to buy into this?”  
  
Instead of answering him, James smiled and winked at him with his good eye.   
  
\--  
  
It took over a month for Leonard to finally give Spock permission to get back on his horse. They spent weeks on their horses without running into any trouble – much to Leonard’s surprise. But of course, with James’ luck, it didn’t last. Somewhere in the middle of Arizona, they came across a tall, blonde woman leaning against a carriage, clearly pregnant and in distress.  
  
They immediately got off their horses and jogged over. “Miss? Are you alright? What happened here?” James attempted to place a hand on the woman’s shoulder only to get his hand slapped away.   
  
“Don’t touch me,” she hissed. “My name is Eleen Akaar. I’m the wife of Governor Akaar and my carriage was attacked by thieves. They took everything including the horses. I demand you get me back to my husband immediately.”  
  
Leonard approached her a little more cautiously than James had. “Ma’am, I don’t think you’re going to make it all the way back to wherever your husband is if it’s not in sight. My name’s Leonard McCoy. I’m a doctor. I can help you.”   
  
When he reached for her stomach, he got slapped instead.  
  
“Leonard!” James immediately took a step forward.  
  
“It’s alright, James.” His irritation spiked but he managed to convince himself that the woman was just hysterical from being pregnant and being robbed. Jocelyn wasn’t all that much better – maybe a little less violent. “Nyota, can you grab my kit and come over here to help me out?”  
  
Then he got slapped again.  
  
Eleen looked infuriated. “I don’t need any of your help, and don’t any of you dare touch me! Get me back to my husband right now! He’s a governor!” Then she winced. “I don’t even _want_ this child!”  
  
There was a collective gasp from the group when Leonard finally lost his temper and slapped some sense back into the woman. “Sorry, but I couldn’t care less if your husband was the king of France. He’s not here right now and you’re about to go into labour so lie down and let me help you, dammit!”  
  
The blonde’s eyes widened, but she obediently sat down and watched him in…admiration? “…you have very soft hands, doctor.”  
  
As shocked as he was, there was no time to muse over it. Sparing a ‘don’t-say-a-word’ glare at James who looked caught between surprise and amusement, Leonard motioned for Uhura. “Nyota, come on over here.”   
  
Eleen frowned and shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t want her help.”  
  
The doctor took a deep breath. “Look, I can’t do this on my own and she’s your best bet. Beggars can’t be choosers – and right now, despite your title, you need help so you don’t get a say in the matter.”  
  
The blonde promptly shut her mouth.  
  
“That’s better.” The brunet turned to the other men. “James, Spock, you two will probably want to go elsewhere.”  
  
James pouted. “Do I have to? Can’t I help?”  
  
Leonard raised a brow. “Have you ever seen a woman give birth?”  
  
“…no.”  
  
“Then no, you can’t. You definitely won’t be able to handle it. It’s a messy process. Go stand around somewhere else and make sure we don’t get attacked or something.”  
  
Eleen let out a whimper.   
  
Waving the two off, the doctor scowled. “Go already!”  
  
  
After a couple hours, with the baby birthed, they managed to bring mother and child back into town. Dropping the pair off at the police station, they left without waiting for their promised reward and recognition on the excuse that they needed to make up for lost time.   
  
They rode off with their heads held high and proud grins on their faces. Uhura looked over, her surprise still evident. “I still find it hard to believe that you actually hit a woman, Leonard.”  
  
Leonard groaned. “Let’s never bring up this incident ever again. I can practically hear my poor granny turning in her grave.”  
  
The blond rode next to him and patted him reassuringly on the arm. “On the brighter note, we indirectly have a child now.”  
  
Spock’s eyebrow twitched. “I still find it hard to believe she named the child Leonard James Akaar.”  
  
The doctor’s frown disappeared at the memory of the baby. “Has a kind of a ring to it, don’t you think, James?”  
  
James’ grin widened. “Yes. I think it's a name destined to go down in history, Leonard. What do you think, Spock?”  
  
The Vulcan almost expressed his exasperation and rolled his eyes – almost. "I think you're both going to be insufferably pleased with yourselves for at least a month.”  
  
Laughing, the blond turned to the doctor. “Hey, Leonard?”  
  
“What is it, James?”  
  
“Do you think the governor will be upset when he finds out that his wife named their first son after us?”  
  
Leonard snorted in amusement. “Isn’t that why we left so quickly? She’s named her first son after us and she’s planning on naming her first daughter after Nyota. We might as well be criminals.”  
  
There was a pause.  
  
“Hey, Leonard?”  
  
“What is it?”  
  
James had a huge grin on his face. “What very soft hands you have, doctor.”  
  
Feeling his face heat up in embarrassment, he took off after Enterprise on his horse. “Dammit, James, get back here! I’m going to kick your ass all the way to the west coast!”  
  
\--  
  
When they arrived at the outskirts of San Francisco, they had no time to voice their relief at finally reaching their destination. Out of nowhere, a pair of young men rode past them; clearly in a hurry.   
  
“Hurry up, Pasha! We’re almost safe!”  
  
“I don’t think they’re chasing us anymore, Hikaru!”  
  
“It doesn’t matter, keep going until we reach the boat!”  
  
Leonard turned to James to voice his puzzlement but stopped when he saw the large grin the blond had on his face and the excited sparkle he had in his eyes. “Oh no….”  
  
“It’s serendipity, Leonard! Come on you guys!” Kicking Enterprise into action, James took off after the two.  
  
“Dammit, James! You can’t just go chasing after strangers like that!”


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:  
  
Running through the trees and shrubbery, Leonard spared a glance backwards. He regretted it instantly and began running faster when he saw spears and arrows flew towards them. “They’re trying to kill us! James, they’re actually trying to kill us!”  
  
Beside him, the blond ducked under a branch and sprinted past him, treasure safely tucked away under his arm. “Sure looks that way, doesn’t it?”  
  
A number of complaints formed in his head ranging from ‘I’m too old for this shit’ to ‘I’m a doctor, not a marathon runner,’ but they all fled his mind when he noticed the direction they were running towards. “The beach is that way!”  
  
“We’re not going to the beach!”  
  
Hazel eyes widened when he took in the other’s words. “I hate this!”  
  
Despite running for his life, James managed to sound amused. “I know you do!”  
  
A moment later, they were flying off a cliff and screaming their lungs out.   
  
\--  
  
A week earlier, they met the two young men that had ridden past them on their way to San Francisco. James had to chase them all the way down to the harbour and cornered them before they reluctantly got off their horses and accepted their fate. The pair was understandably wary of their sudden appearance and it took awhile to convince them that they meant no harm.   
  
They relaxed slightly after Leonard explained to them, “We’re not with the law enforcement or anything. The only reason we chased you here was because this idiot here’s like a big, dumb dog. He saw you two running and wanted to play with you.”  
  
The pair looked over at James, clearly expecting some form of protest. But instead, the blond shrugged. “Not exactly the nicest way you could’ve worded it, but I guess that’s as good a way of explaining things as any. My name’s James, by the way. That’s Doctor Leonard McCoy, Mr. Spock, and the lovely Miss Uhura.”  
  
After exchanging uncertain looks, the two introduced themselves as Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Andreievich Chekov. The Asian asked, “So what do you want with us?”  
  
James smiled. “Not much. When you were riding past us, I heard you mention a boat and I wanted to see it, that’s all. So why were you running? Get on the bad side of someone mean?”  
  
Sulu snorted. “Someone mean? Try an entire tribe.” Looking at the group, he sighed, “Let’s talk after we get the horses into a stable. I know a place, follow me.”  
  
“They seem like nice people, Hikaru.” Chekov smiled at the group. “Did you know that horse stables were invented in Russia?”  
  
The group wound up sitting on Sulu’s yacht to listen to their story. Leonard was a little too surprised that he wasn’t seasick like he had expected.   
  
“Like I said earlier, my name’s Hikaru Sulu. I’m the helmsman and technically the owner of this ship. The last captain disappeared somewhere during the last race. And that’s Pasha. He’s a genius navigator I found on the beach.”  
  
Uhura blinked. “You just randomly found a genius navigator on the beach? That’s convenient.”  
  
Chekov nodded. “Yes, that’s how it happened. My ship which was coming here from Russia sank because there was a storm and the captain didn’t listen to me. I tried to tell them to change their path but they said it was ‘bullshit’ as Hikaru calls it. He found me when I was almost dead and saved me. I’ve been working with him ever since. Hikaru is very good to me – he listens to my warnings about storms.”  
  
The blond smiled. “Never question a genius, hmm? That’s a pretty amazing story. So why were you the two of you running away on horses earlier?”  
  
“So basically,” Sulu explained, “someone sabotaged my ship during one of my races and we wound up on the shore of some beach. At this point, the rest of the crew had abandoned ship already, so it was just the two of us. Then the Indians show up. We managed to get back to the ship but not before they got something of great importance to me.”  
  
James’ eyes shone in interest. “What’d they get?”  
  
“It’s a compass that was passed down to me from my parents and grandparents. We were hoping to sneak into the tribe and get it back. But we failed – evidently,” the Asian muttered tightly.  
  
“I see…” James trailed off, the cogs in his brain turning. Then he turned to the rest of them and grinned excitedly. “Doesn’t that sound interesting, guys?”  
  
The three others simultaneously crossed their arms and raised their brows; wary of whatever scheme James was conjuring in his head.   
  
Sulu blinked. “Wow, that’s spooky.”  
  
James patted the man on the shoulder and told him, “Don’t worry, you get used to it,” like he was already part of the group.  
  
Knowing better than to question James once he had made up his mind, Leonard decided to change the topic. “So is this boat fixed now? It won’t suddenly sink or anything, will it?”  
  
Chekov smiled at him. “Don’t worry, doctor. Hikaru’s very good at everything that’s related to ships – which, by the way, were invented in Russia. It’s just too bad we won’t get to race in it even though we fixed it up.”  
  
The doctor raised a brow. “Why?”  
  
The helmsman sighed. “It’s because they’ve got a thing against Asians here. They don’t care whether you’re Japanese, or Chinese, or Southeast Asian – or whether or not you were born and raised here. Around these parts, if you’re Asian, you’re ‘Chinese’ and you get subjected to all these ridiculous rules. Even if I sign up for another race, they’ll think of some way to disqualify me or they’ll do something to my ship again.”  
  
“That’s just hogwash,” Leonard muttered to himself. Although he expected some form of segregation in the west, it still surprised him. It was so different yet similar to the south.   
  
Sulu nodded in agreement. “You’re not from around these parts, are you?”  
  
The doctor shook his head. “I’m from Georgia but I got dragged across the country by this idiot here.”   
  
James grinned happily at being referred to. “That you did, Leonard. And what a trip it’s been, wouldn’t you agree? Being chased by wild animals and getting nabbed by French outlaws….”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes. “Those were the things that happened to  _you_. All  _I_  did was lose sleep worrying about your fool head.”  
  
The young Russian watched the blond with admiration in his eyes. “Did that really happen? You were taken by French outlaws?”  
  
Clearly pleased at having an engaged audience, James nodded. “I did! We were in New Orleans at the time and…”  
  
And just like that, James won Chekov over with his stories before the sun set.  
  
\--  
  
Sulu’s cooperation was a little more difficult to obtain and required bribery. He wanted two things: to compete and win the race he had wanted to sign up for, and to get his compass back. Not one to step down from a challenge, the blond offered, “If you really want to sign up for that race, why don’t you just use my name?”  
  
The Asian eyed him doubtfully. “You’ll take on the role of captain?”  
  
The blond shrugged, pulling off a nonchalant look. “Sure, why not?”  
  
Sulu considered the proposition for a moment before shaking his head. “Thanks for the offer, but that won’t be enough. No one will sign up to be a part of the crew – everyone around here knows about this yacht.”  
  
James thought about it for a moment then smiled. “Then can’t  _we_  be your crew?”  
  
Leonard looked over in alarm. “Are you out of your mind, James? I’m a doctor, not a sailor!”  
  
“Oh come on, Leonard. It can’t be that bad. There are four of us, and as long as Mr. Sulu here’s able to provide us with a little training and proper instructions, I’m sure we can do it.” Then he nodded towards Sulu and Chekov. “Hell, if these guys are as good as they say they are, I bet we can even get his compass back during the race and  _still_  win.”  
  
The doctor looked at the blond then over to Sulu and Chekov. All three of them had similar sparkles in their eyes that made Leonard shake his head in disbelief. “You crazy kids are actually considering it? Unbelievable.”   
  
Hazel eyes shot Uhura a pleading look but he only got a helpless shrug in reply. “Talking him out of crazy ideas is your specialty, Leonard, not mine.”  
  
“No,” he muttered, “my specialty is getting dragged along and being an unwilling participant in said crazy ideas. I can’t believe this is happening.”  
  
“I know that tone. That’s your ‘ _dammit, James, we’re all going to die completely avoidable deaths_ ’ tone of voice.” The blond tilted his head and smiled at him with warm affection. “What worst case scenario are you thinking about right now, Leonard?”  
  
Crossing his arms, Leonard huffed indignantly. “Worst case scenario? That would imply that there’s only one and I’ve can think of  _at least_  half a dozen just off the top of my head. Where should I start? The obvious one is that the boat will sink and we’ll all drown. We don’t even know what lurks in the waters around these parts – for all you know, there are man-eating sharks and other ungodly monsters. And have you even considered all the diseases sailors contract?”  
  
James shot him a confused expression. “Why would I? You’ll be there to cure us from all those diseases, so that won’t be a problem, right? And Mr. Sulu knows everything there is to know about the waters around here. I’m pretty sure there aren’t any man-eating sharks around here, are there?”  
  
Sulu paused before admitting, “Actually, there are. But they rarely bother people who’re on boats. And I’ve only ever seen them when there were seals around – so as long as there aren’t seals around, you’re fine.”  
  
Unfazed by the notion of ravenous sharks, James turned back to the doctor. “See, Leonard? As long as we stay away from seals, there won’t be any man-eating sharks or monsters. There’s nothing to worry about!”  
  
Leonard made a face. “For normal people maybe. But knowing your luck, a shark will probably jump out of the waters and try to attack you…or punch you in the face.”  
  
The blond immediately pouted. “That won’t happen.” Then he turned to Sulu once more. “That won’t happen, right?”  
  
The Asian raised a brow, probably questioning their mental stability. “A shark leaping out of the waters to punch you in the face? No. I very much doubt that that’ll happen.”  
  
“See, Leonard? No face-punching sharks either.”  
  
The brunet rolled his eyes and decided to take a different approach. “Fine, but what name are you planning on using to sign up,  _captain_?”  
  
At this, James shot him a wide grin. “Well, at first, I was thinking about using your last name. I mean, we already have a governor’s little boy named after us, so why not, right? I actually kind of like the name James McCoy. But then I realized that if I use McCoy, people might notice and come looking for you to try and recruit you to their hospitals and stuff. That’s the last thing we really need right now, so I decided not to in the end. The only person who’s allowed to stalk and worship you is me.”  
  
Leonard snorted in amusement. “Is that right? Alright then, so what name did you decide on?”  
  
James bowed theatrically. “Captain Just James at your service.”  
  
\--  
  
A few days later, Leonard found himself waiting in the woods for James to retrieve Sulu’s compass. The blond’s brilliant plan was simply to get captured, strike a deal with the tribe for the compass, and escape.   
  
Tapping his foot impatiently, he had no way of telling how long James would take. After a couple minutes, he began wishing he were captured with the blond instead of standing around and waiting to see if James would need help. But then right after finishing that last thought, the blond came tearing through the woods with the entire tribe hot on his heels, the doctor could only stand and stare in disbelief. “You’ve got to be joking me. I thought it was supposed to be peaceful! I’m only supposed to be here for medical aid – not to outrun angry natives!”  
  
Approaching the doctor at an incredible speed, James called out to him, “Run, Leonard!”  
  
And that’s how the two of them ended up jumping off a cliff.  
  
As he hit the water, Leonard was sure that his life flashed before his eyes. He saw his father nodding proudly at him when he got his MD, his daughter, the sunshine of his life, smiling sweetly at him, and he saw those blue, blue eyes that seduced him from his home with promises of the world and more.   
  
But then a moment later, he realized that he was still alive and his thoughts turned to ones involving man-eating sharks and other angry sea creatures. Surfacing as quickly as he could, he took a deep breath of sweet, life-sustaining air and looked around. To his left, he could see James laughing and swimming towards Sulu’s boat. Too caught up in thoughts of getting eaten alive to complain, he followed suit.  
  
Pulled up by Spock and Uhura, the two of them lay on the deck, panting and laughing – on James’ part anyways. The Vulcan frowned. “James, did you conduct your negotiations with the tribe in a peaceful manner?”  
  
The blond tilted his head back and glanced back towards the cliff where the natives had gathered and were shaking their fists angrily at them. He laughed and handed the compass over to Uhura. “Oh absolutely. Things went as peacefully as they could possibly get, Mr. Spock.”  
  
Spock studied him for a moment before concluding, “You’re being sarcastic.”  
  
James nodded. “You’re catching on, Mr. Spock. Hey, Leonard, how’re you doing?”  
  
“Fuck you.” Leonard was still on his back and panting from the sudden spurt of intense exercise. “I hate you so much right now. I hope a shark punches you in the face.”  
  
The blond looked over at him and grasped his hand with a smile. “Don’t be like that. Don’t you always say that a little suffering’s good for the soul?”  
  
The doctor frowned. “I never say that.”  
  
“Well, either way; we just survived another adventure. Now you can tell Christine all about it so she’ll stop calling you a boring old man.”   
  
“What are you talking about? She never calls me that.  _No one_  ever calls me that. Was that your subtle way of reminding me that I’m  _30_  now? If so, it’s not needed. My bones remind me of my age every single day,” he griped.  
  
“Now why would I do that? I think you’re still plenty young, Leonard,” James reassured him with the squeeze of the hand. Then he added, “You know, I’ve never heard you scream quite like that before.”  
  
The brunet scowled. “That’s because I’ve never jumped off a cliff before,  _James_.”  
  
“Me neither. My legs are still shaking. But we did it and we lived to tell the tale.” Grinning to himself, the blond called out towards the helm. “Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov, I’ll be able to stand again in a minute. Let’s win this race!”  
  
Smiling, the Asian nodded. “Aye, aye, captain.”  
  
With a nautical chart in his hands, Chekov had an excited grin on his face. “According to my calculations, with this wind, our fastest route is to go northwest.”  
  
Leonard glanced over at the Russian. “Wait a minute, kid. How old are you?”  
  
The teenager blinked. “Sixteen, sir.”  
  
The doctor wished he had asked that question earlier – before the race started. He took a deep breath and stared at the sky in disbelief. “Oh…oh, good. He’s sixteen. I just jumped off a cliff to climb onto a boat with an  _infant_  for a navigator. This sounds more like a bad, alcohol-induced dream than anything.” He decided to pinch the James’ arm to check.  
  
“Ow!”  
  
“Nope, not a dream. Damn it.”  
  
Spock nodded. “While I understand your concern, doctor, I can assure you that Mr. Chekov’s calculations are quite accurate. The path he proposed is not only the fastest, but also the safest route possible given our current location.”  
  
Letting go of Leonard’s hand, James pushed himself up on unsteady legs and stretched out his limbs. “See? Nothing to worry about at all! And he’s a genius navigator, remember? Genius is more important than age in situations like this.” Offering the brunet a hand, he asked, “So are you ready to get up yet, Leonard?”  
  
Batting the hand away, hazel eyes narrowed. “No. Leave me alone. I’m staying down until we get back to shore.”  
  
Shrugging good-naturedly, James replied, “Alright. I’ll let you know when we’re back. You’ll probably hear people cheering because there’s no way we can possibly lose this race.”  
  
As Leonard lay there, all he could think of was how there couldn’t have been a worst way to discover a fear of heights than by jumping off a cliff.  
  
When he told James about it that night (after their obligatory celebration), he received an apologetic chuckle, a gentle kiss, and the promise that it’d never happen again. Although he didn’t think it was adequate compensation, he couldn’t recall a time when those baby blue eyes shone quite that brightly so he didn’t press the issue.  
  
Lying cozily in bed, James suddenly spoke up, “I just thought of an impending problem, Leonard.”  
  
The brunet raised a brow and opened his eyes tiredly. “What is it?”  
  
“Once Sulu and Chekov join us, it’ll be really hard for us to get our own room, won’t it?”  
  
Leonard laughed and rolled onto his side to face the other. “ _That’s_  your pressing issue? Don’t tell me you’re going to lose sleep over this.”  
  
James frowned. “I might – don’t laugh at me. It’s a very serious problem, Leonard! My day won’t feel complete if I don’t get my daily dosage of you.”  
  
Although he felt childish for it, Leonard couldn’t help but revel in the special treatment he received from the blond. “Jesus Christ, kid, you make it sound like a religious experience. If you’re expecting revelations when you come or something then you’re definitely out of luck.” The two shared a chuckle for a moment. Then he continued, “What exactly am I supposed to be to you anyways? I lost track after being assigned as your caretaker.”  
  
The blond took a moment to consider the question. “You’re everything.”  
  
The doctor raised a brow. “Everything? And what does ‘everything’ mean, Just James?”  
  
James replied earnestly, “’Everything’ means anything you want, you can be. From my best friend to my worst enemy, you can be it all, Leonard. I don’t mind as long as you’re here with me.”  
  
“I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. And I’ll never be your enemy, James. That’d be way too much work. I’m a doctor, not an idiot.”  
  
The blond wrapped his arms around the doctor’s waist and smiled. “That’s good to know. But back to the original topic: what are we going to do about this very serious problem?”  
  
Draping an arm sleepily over James, he closed his eyes and muttered, “I’m sure you’ll figure something out in the morning, James. I’m going to sleep. I dove off a cliff for you today – I deserve  _at least_  a week’s worth of sleep for that.”  
  
\--  
  
Two weeks later, with the yacht sold and essentials packed, the six of them left San Francisco. James looked awfully pleased with the group’s newest additions although he’d been unsure about selling the boat. “Are you sure you want to part with your ship?”  
  
Sulu shrugged. “I don’t really mind. It’s not even mine nor does it have any sentimental value to me.”  
  
Blue eyes glanced back towards the harbour one last time. “Alright, if you’re sure. Don’t worry, wherever we end up, I’ll make sure that it’s by water. Then you’ll be able to sail your own yacht whenever and wherever you’d like.”  
  
The Asian nodded gratefully. “That sounds like a good plan to me.”  
  
“By the way, why do you have a sword with you?”  
  
“Oh, this? I fence in my free time. If you’d like, I could teach you the basics.”  
  
James perked up. “Really?”  
  
“Sure, why not? I taught Pasha how to fence in a couple days. But then again, he’s a genius at everything, so that’s not saying very much. Still, if you want, I’ll teach you.”  
  
“I’ll hold you to your word then.”  
  
Watching Sulu catch up to Chekov who was happily speaking Russian with Uhura, Leonard rode up next to the blond. “Well, congratulations, James. You must be pleased with yourself. I think it’s safe to say that this is the most diverse group of people travelling together in the country.”  
  
James smiled. “I’m  _very_  pleased, Leonard. But we’re not done just yet.”  
  
The doctor raised a brow. “Oh? And how many more heads do we need? We won’t have to throw ourselves off anymore cliffs to recruit them, will we?”  
  
The blond laughed and shook his head. “I promised you that there’d be no more diving off cliffs, didn’t I? And as for how many more…” He scanned the group for a moment. “I think just one more person and it’d be perfect.”  
  
Leonard blinked at the definitive answer. “One more, hmm? I wonder who the poor soul will be.”  
  
\--  
  
The ‘poor soul’ turned out to be a crazy Scottish engineer/inventor who nearly ran them over in his equally crazy metal contraption.   
  
It was a crisp November day and Leonard was in the middle of complaining about the cold when the horseless carriage came barrelling out of nowhere and veered away just in time to avoid the horses. The machine stopped and a moment later, the door opened and a dog hopped out, followed by a frazzled man. “I told you not to do that, Keenser!”  
  
The dog looked up at its master and wagged its tail happily.  
  
Leonard frowned, heart still pounding rapidly in his chest. “Dammit, man, you nearly killed us!”  
  
The Scotsman turned to him and nodded apologetically. “Aye, terribly sorry about that, lad. This stupid dog suddenly decided to hop onto my lap to take a better look at you lads and I lost control of the thing. Terribly sorry.”  
  
The rest of the men in the group were too busy staring in fascination at the horseless carriage to realize that they had just narrowly avoided death. Even Spock raised a brow in interest.  
  
James called out to the stranger, “Did you build that by yourself?”  
  
The man nodded proudly. “Aye. She’s a real beauty, isn’t she?”  
  
“That she is.” Steering his horse over towards the Scotsman, James reached down to offer his hand. “I’m James.”  
  
Shaking the blonde’s hand, the man introduced himself, “James, eh? It’s nice to meet you, lad. My name’s Montgomery Scott, but most people around here just call me Scotty – or the ones who’re still talking to me anyways.” Then smiling, he offered, “Tell you what, lad. Why don’t you bring your friends over to my workshop? If you’d like, you can try riding in one of my inventions.”  
  
Blue eyes brightened excitedly. “Can we really?”  
  
Scotty nodded. “A Scotsman always keeps his word. Think of it as an apology for that little mishap just now.”  
  
James turned back to the group with a large grin on his face. “Did you guys hear what Scotty just said? He said we can go try out one of his horseless carriages! Isn’t that great?”  
  
Try as he might, Spock couldn’t fully conceal his enthusiasm as he nodded. “Indeed that’s excellent news. I’d like very much to learn more about that fascinating machine.”   
  
Uhura shook her head affectionately and sighed. “Oh, you boys and your shiny toys.”  
  
While everyone voiced their approval, Leonard looked up to the sky and silently prayed for some divine intervention to stop him from having to get into that unnatural metal box. But that intervention never came and about an hour later, James was looking over a selection of horseless carriages, trying to decide on which he wanted to try.  
  
And of course, James somehow ended up choosing the fastest one.  
  
At that point, Leonard was certain that whatever omnificent being he had prayed to earlier either had a really dark sense of humour or it just  _really_  didn’t like him.   
  
Scotty patted his invention lovingly. “So you want to ride in this one, hmm? An excellent choice, Mr. James. She’s my finest creation yet! Why don’t you lads and lasses hop in then?”  
  
“Come on, Leonard! Let’s sit in the front!” James immediately pulled the doctor into the front seats while the other four hopped in the back.   
  
Hazel eyes looked around desperately for some kind of safety mechanism but found none. “Shouldn’t this thing have straps of some kind? You know, for safety? Or maybe to stop people from being thrown through the window if and when this thing  _crashes_?”  
  
Opening the door and scooting into the driver’s seat, the Scotsman shook his head and started the automobile. “Nonsense! This is perfectly safe! Are you ready then?”  
  
Everyone save the doctor and Spock let out a cheer – although the Vulcan was probably cheering inside.  
  
“Oh dear lord….” Reflexively grasping James’ hand, he took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on his knees as the vehicle began moving.  
  
James looked over and squeezed his hand reassuringly.  
  
And then the carriage took off.  
  
Within a minute, every profane word and phrase Leonard knew came tumbling out his mouth.  
  
It was a bumpy ride and there was no way to tell how fast they were going or how far they had gone already. In the back and from beside him, Leonard could hear the laughter of James, Chekov and Sulu. While he was clinging onto the laughing blond’s arm for dear life, the vehicle made a sharp turn and he could hear Uhura’s surprised yelp from behind him. Glancing over at James, he muttered, “I may throw up on you.”  
  
But the blond just kept laughing.  
  
\--  
  
When the ride finally ended, Leonard stumbled out and had to make a conscious effort to stop himself from kissing the ground out of joy and relief.   
  
“Are you feeling better?” James asked from beside him while rubbing his back comfortingly.  
  
Leonard scowled. “Promise me I’ll never have to get into one of those hellish contraptions ever again.”  
  
“I promise you’ll never have to get into one of those hellish contraptions ever again,” James repeated immediately.   
  
“Good.”  
  
The two stood there in comfortable silence for a moment, watching Scotty explain different components of his invention to the group who were all listening attentively, eyes wide with interest.   
  
“Is this it then, James? Is this the group you were dreaming of?” the doctor asked, trying to ignore his nausea.  
  
Turning back to the doctor, the blond nodded and spoke with an excited breathlessness in his voice, “Yeah. I can’t believe we did it, Leonard. This is it. These are the people we need. We found them. We really found them.”  
  
Leonard was about made a sarcastic reply, but when he saw the expression James was wearing, all he could do was stand there and wonder how anyone’s eyes could shine so damn brightly.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:  
  
Snow started falling in mid-November, giving them no choice but to stay put at Scotty’s place, a plot of land on the outskirts of town. The inventor’s house was actually quite big after clearing out a couple piles of metal and junk.   
  
It was a quiet day, and unable to be productive with all the snow, the group decided to have a snowball fight. Although James had begged him to join in the fun, Leonard opted to watch from the doorsteps with Uhura while the others played in the snow.  
  
On the way out to join the others, James looked at the two of them, bundled up in blankets and grinned triumphantly. “And this is exactly the reason why I didn’t propose going up to Canada.” He accepted the offered flask and took a sip. “Thanks. Are you  _sure_  you don’t want to play with us? The exercise will probably warm you up.”  
  
The doctor scoffed and took his drink back. “I’m absolutely positive. Don’t come crying to me when your toes get so frostbitten that they need to be amputated.”  
  
“What are you talking about? You’re the only person I’d go crying to in that situation. When it comes to amputating limbs and digits, you’re the best sawbones around, Leonard.”  
  
“Sweet talking thing, aren’t you?” Rolling his eyes, Leonard waved the blond off. “Go and play already, you infant. Didn’t you say you needed to teach Spock the rules to snowball fighting?”  
  
James perked up. “Oh, that’s right! I did, didn’t I? I guess I should probably get to it. Well, it doesn’t matter since we’re going to be on the same team after our practice round. Scotty said he’d take us all on. I think he’s up to something, but you two will make sure everything stays fair, won’t you?”  
  
Leonard snorted. “Fairness is a very subjective thing, James.”  
  
The blond patted his arm and smiled. “I trust your judgment. Anyways, I better get going before Spock changes his mind and finds the whole thing too illogical for him to participate in.”  
  
After they were left alone, Uhura turned to him and asked, “Do you and James ever get into arguments, Leonard?”  
  
He blinked at the suddenness of the question. “Arguments? All the time. Just this morning we were arguing about playing in the snow and how I  _didn’t_  want to catch pneumonia. I don’t know how they can just run around in the snow like that. Bunch of crazy idiots.”  
  
She chuckled and shook her head. “No, not like that. I meant arguments about important things – serious things.”  
  
Leonard raised a brow and stole a glance at James who was still explaining the rules to Spock who simply crossed his arms and looked unimpressed. “Serious things, hmm? Occasionally, yes.”  
  
“How do you deal with it? How do you reconcile? Please impart a little of your wisdom to me.”  
  
The brunet looked up at the sky, trying to remember the part that came before the make-up sex. He began slowly, “Well, I think it helps that we both think that if it’s something important, then it can’t be ignored or it’ll just fester over time. If you leave it, you’ll go home one day and find a nude diplomat in your bed, but I digress.   
  
“I don’t think James and I do anything particularly special when it comes to solving problems. All we do is lay all our cards on the table and discuss the issue honestly – and more often than not, it involves yelling. Sometimes one of us realizes we’re wrong, and other times, we compromise. I don’t think there’s any other way around it. Did that help at all?”  
  
Uhura nodded thoughtfully. “It did. I’ll try that. Thank you, Leonard.”  
  
“Anytime, darlin’. If you need someone to talk to, you can always come find me or James.”  
  
“I’ll keep that in mind, though I doubt I’ll be looking to James for advice anytime soon – it’d make him too happy and I’d never hear the end of it.” Then after a moment, she continued, “You know, I never got to hear your side of the story.”  
  
Leonard blinked. “My side of the story? What do you mean?”  
  
“I mean, I’ve heard James’ and Spock’s rendition of your time together before I met the three of you, but I’ve never heard yours. Whenever we stop at a town, you’re normally too busy helping out at clinics and hospitals for me to ask. So I’ll ask you now. I’m sure it’s going be very different from James’ version. You’re an absolute saint in his version.”  
  
He rolled his eyes, unsurprised. “With the way he exaggerates, you’d think I’d be able to cure a rainy day. I can tell you right now that my version of the story probably isn’t going to be nearly as detailed as his. I’m a doctor, not a storyteller.”   
  
Just then, Keenser’s excited barking could be heard and Scotty appeared with a machine they had never seen before. Within moments, it sent the other team running as it began pelting snow at an alarming rate. The Scotsman was clearly enjoying himself as the others complained from afar.   
  
The doctor watched in amusement and shook his head. “I’m  _so_  glad I didn’t let James talk me into this one. Do you think we should stop Scotty?”  
  
Uhura shook her head, not looking particularly worried. “It’s just a game. I’m sure the boys will be able to handle themselves for a little while. I want to hear the story.”  
  
“Alright then.” Thinking back, he began, “So I guess this goes back to Atlanta, I was working at this little clinic…”

  
  
By the time he recalled the time when James decided that it’d be a good idea to wait for the singer in her dressing room, Uhura was doubled over in laughter. “That sounds exactly like something he would do! When I saw the three of you, I thought you were inept robbers.”  
  
Leonard couldn’t help but chuckle himself. “That wouldn’t have been too far from the truth.”  
  
By that time, the snowball fight had ended and Scotty’s machine idle and tipped over while its creator stood next to it, buried waist deep in snow. James and his team were covered in snow and clearly exhausted but that didn’t stop them from piling more snow onto Scotty in triumph.  
  
Deciding that enough was enough, the doctor stood up with his blanket still wrapped around him and began making his way over to stop the men from completely burying the engineer in snow.   
  
“Leonard,” Uhura called out.  
  
He turned around and blinked. “Yes?”  
  
“While I’m not fond of being in agreement with James, I’m glad he found you and convinced you to leave Georgia and go on this adventure. You do him a world of good. His eyes don’t have that jaded look in them anymore.”  
  
The brunet smiled. “So you’ve noticed it too. I figured if anyone was to notice, it’d be you.”  
  
The singer gave a small nod. “Confidence suits him – don’t tell him I said so though.”  
  
Leonard laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me, darlin’. And just for the record, I think so too.” Then he made his way over to the group and called out, “Alright, that’s enough, you damn infants! If you keep him buried like that any longer, I’m actually going to have to saw off his legs!”  
  
The men looked over at him and stopped. Sulu and Chekov ran off to the side to start their own snowball fight while Spock wandered back to the house where Uhura was sitting. James bounced over to him like an excited dog and grinned. “Did you see how amazing that was, Leonard? Please tell me you saw it! Scotty had no idea what hit him!”  
  
“Yes, yes, you’re a genius tactician. Good job. Hold this.” Handing the blond the flask, he helped pull the half-frozen engineer out of the snow.   
  
Scotty laughed and brushed himself off. “Thank you, doctor. I guess it’s my loss this time. That was a good game though. Come on, Keenser, let’s go see if we have enough wood to last us the night.”  
  
The dog barked and followed his owner towards the wood shed.  
  
Turning back to the blond, Leonard crossed his arms. “That was some crazy stunt you pulled back there, James. I didn’t think it’d work, but I guess I was wrong.”  
  
James took a swig from the flask. “No such thing as a no-win scenario.”  
  
The doctor rolled his eyes affectionately. “No such thing indeed. My god, man, just look at you. There’s enough snow on you to build a snowman.”  
  
“It was for stealth!”  
  
Dusting off as much snow as he could off the blond, Leonard let out a huff. “Yeah, well, you don’t need to be stealthy anymore, so unless you’re planning on playing with Sulu and Chekov some more, go inside and change.”  
  
“Whatever you say, doc.” James’ smile widened. “Oh, and guess what we just won from Scotty?”  
  
Leonard had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn’t be a good thing. “What?”  
  
“Unlimited access to his special little homebrew.”  
  
Hazel eyes widened. “Dammit, James! You’ll probably die from drinking that stuff!”  
  
Despite his initial protests, Leonard wound up drinking just as much of the stuff as everyone else if not more. The only person who seemed relatively unaffected by Scotty’s lethally potent concoction was Spock – although the Vulcan  _did_  have a hard time walking in a straight line while carrying the sleeping Uhura up the stairs to their room.   
  
Bleary eyed, the doctor looked around and found Sulu and Chekov passed out and using Scotty’s torso as their pillow. At their feet lay Keenser whose stomach must’ve been made from steel because the dog lapped up just as much alcohol as anyone there and was still alive. The Scotsman was on his back and snoring loudly and occasionally mumbling numbers in his sleep. Next to Leonard, James had an arm around his waist and was muttering incoherencies into his neck.  
  
“Come on, Just James. Sleep time,” he slurred and gave the blonde’s should a shake.  
  
James nodded groggily and the two of them managed to get onto their feet albeit very unsteadily. “Leonard, my tongue’s numb. Is that supposed to happen? I don’t think that’s supposed to happen.”  
  
The brunet rolled his eyes. “No. But mine is too. That’s probably because Scotty put  _fire_  into his moonshine. I don’t know how he did it, but he’s an engineer so anything’s possible. Fucking fire, I swear it. That’s why I told you not to drink so much.”  
  
“But you drank just as much as I did!” the blond complained.  
  
“Shut your face, I did not!”  
  
James grinned stupidly. “I missed you, Doctor Angry-Drunk-Doctor.”  
  
The doctor snorted. “You said doctor twice, dumbass.”  
  
The two of them stumbled around until they reached the staircase and James started laughing. “Hey, it’s your stairs again! That reminds me of your broken bed – I miss your broken bed. It was so comfortable. Do you think your broken bed’s upstairs, Leonard?”  
  
Leonard furrowed his eyebrows in thought. “No. How can it be? We’re at Scotty’s, not Atlanta.”  
  
“Oh, okay. Do we really have to climb all the way up the stairs then?” Sitting down on one of the steps with a pout, he pulled the brunet down by the waist to join him. “If your broken bed isn’t upstairs, I don’t want to go. It’s too much work. And I promised Christine I won’t wrestle stairs anymore.”   
  
The brunet let out a snort of laughter. “Yeah. Don’t want Christine laughing at me again. Wouldn’t even stab me with a scalpel when I asked her to. What are you doing, Just James?”  
  
Hands cupping Leonard’s face, James grinned drunkenly. “Love it when you call me that. I’ll worship you right here, Leonard. Can I? Please let me.”  
  
Ignoring the words, the doctor leaned into the blond’s touch until they were awkwardly sprawled on the staircase. They ended up falling asleep like that.  
  
No one woke up before noon the next day.  
  
\--  
  
It took nearly two days to completely get over their hangovers and three for the soreness in Leonard’s back to go away. Then a couple days after that, Uhura and Spock announced something that made the doctor do a spit-take.  
  
“We decided to get married.”  
  
There was a mixture of reactions across the room. While most of them were pleasantly surprised by the news, Leonard was sure that James’ shocked expression mirrored his own. And it wasn’t from the engagement, it was because Spock added, “James, we would be honoured if you would officiate the wedding.”  
  
Uhura smiled sweetly at the doctor. “And Leonard, you’re as close to a father figure as I’ve ever had. Would you do me the honour of giving me away?”  
  
The two of them stood there for a full minute before speaking up in unison, “Yes. Of course! Oh my god, congratulations, you two!”  
  
James grinned and pulled Spock into a hug, earning him the most baffled expression anyone had ever seen the Vulcan make.   
  
Sulu laughed. “So when’s the wedding?”  
  
The singer shrugged easily. “Whenever the spring gets here, and I guess we can just have it here. And don’t worry, James, we’ll make sure it happens before deer season.”   
  
James turned to the doctor and pouted. “You told her about the deer?”  
  
The doctor replied lightly, “You told her about the stairs and the bed so I think we’re even.”  
  
“This is all wonderful news, but I’m afraid the state of Oregon won’t acknowledge your marriage, lass,” Scotty pointed out, causing everyone to exchange worried glances with one another.  
  
Uhura shook her head. “That’s fine. The state doesn’t have to approve of it. As long as we know it happened, that’s more than enough for us. The three of you can plan it if you’d like. I think I’d prefer to just sit back and relax anyhow.”  
  
Chekov brightened up. “We can really plan it for you?”  
  
“I’ll start brewing more moonshine!” the Scotsman immediately offered.  
  
Leonard groaned. “Great. The wedding’s going to take place and half of us will probably die from drinking that stuff while the other half won’t remember a damn thing.”  
  
James perked up. “Oh, Uhura?”  
  
The woman raised a brow. She looked almost Vulcan when she did it now. “Yes?”  
  
“You do realize that to officiate your wedding, I’ll need to know your first name.” He grinned widely. “So let’s start over again, shall we?  
  
Uhura frowned at him with mock-irritation. “Arrogant asshole, aren’t you?”  
  
“Only sometimes.” The blond laughed and held out his hand. “Hi there, beautiful. My name is James. Just James.”  
  
Shaking his hand, the singer sighed and rolled her eyes affectionately. “Hello Just James, my name’s Nyota Uhura. But I suppose you can just call me Nyota.”  
  
  
Later that day, the doctor was sitting in his makeshift room, which was separated from Sulu and Chekov’s only by a line of bookshelves, when James walked in and sat beside him. “Dinner and booze is almost ready, Leonard. What’re you doing up here?”   
  
“Just thinking.”  
  
“You do that a lot, don’t you?” Leaning against him, the blond muttered, “So they’re actually getting married.”  
  
The doctor let out a soft sigh and nodded. “So they actually are. Congrats, James, that was all you. Now you’re a successful matchmaker too.”  
  
James smiled. “I told you I had a good feeling about it.” The two sat around in comfortable silence for a minute before he continued, “You know, when Uhura asked you to give her away, I was thinking about Joanna too.”  
  
The brunet huffed. “I thought this mind reading thing was supposed to be a one-way thing.”  
  
The blond chuckled. “Apparently not. Stop thinking about it, Leonard. Joanna’s only eight right now, you’ve still got a eight – maybe nine years before you have to head back to Georgia to fight off her suitors with a scalpel.”  
  
Hazel eyes narrowed. “Don’t even joke about that. Eight years isn’t a very long time.”  
  
“I know. You’ve already stuck around me for three.”   
  
Leonard’s eyebrows shot upwards. “My god, has it really been three years already?”  
  
“It really has. Don’t worry though, in eight years’ time, I’ll be there to help you dissuade all the unlucky boys who fall for the McCoy charm. You can’t really blame them though. I mean, it can’t be helped. There’s just something irresistible about McCoys.”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Yeah. I guess I’m just one of the lucky ones. I managed to find a McCoy to latch onto.”  
  
The brunet rolled his eyes. “You  _do_  have an awful lot of dumb luck on your side.”  
  
“Can’t argue with you there. And I plan on making the most of it,” was the lazy reply.  
  
The doctor smiled. “And you’ll actually be there eight years from now, Just James?”  
  
James nodded. “Yep. If you’ll still have me, I promise I’ll be there with you. Can’t you just picture it now? Just James and Doctor McCoy riding to the rescue of Joanna – and when that time comes, I’ll be Just James with a capital J.”  
  
Leonard couldn’t recall a time he believed in the promise of ‘forever’ more than that very day.  
  
That night, the group went through more moonshine except this time, no one managed to make it up the stairs.  
  
\--  
  
The wedding took place in March with James standing in front of the couple with a happy grin on his lips. “…by the power invested in me by the two of you, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride – on the  _lips_! Don’t give me that look, Spock! Vulcan kisses aren’t romantic  _at all_! Oh my god, just kiss her already!”  
  
Much to Leonard’s surprise and relief, everything went smoothly without any deer-attacks or alcohol-related deaths. He assumed their livers managed to build tolerance to Scotty’s concoction since really, it was a miracle that they survived until spring with the amount of alcohol they ingested over the span of a couple weeks.  
  
It wasn’t until nearly two months later that James decided it was time to leave. Picking the doctor up from the town clinic like he did every day since the snow melted, the two of them started on their walk back to Scotty’s place in comfortable silence.   
  
Leonard only had to glance at him to ask, “Alright, James. Where are we going next?”  
  
Head snapping up, James stared at the brunet in surprise. “It’s really eerie how good you are at reading my mind.”  
  
The doctor grinned smugly. “Can’t help it, James. It’s a natural skill of mine apparently. So are you going to tell me your newest plans or am I supposed to wait for you to announce it to everyone?”  
  
Although the easy grin never faltered, baby blue eyes scanned their surroundings warily. When he was sure that no one was within earshot of them, James replied, “Like I could ever say no to you, Leonard.” Glancing over at the brunet, he continued, “Now that we have everyone, I was actually thinking about where our last stop should be. And I had a lot of things to take into consideration so it took a little longer than I expected.”  
  
Leonard raised a brow. “I figured you’d just throw a dart onto a map and decide that way – or,  _‘serendipity’_  as you like to call it.”  
  
The blond snorted. “If you’re going to mock me, can’t you at least be subtle about it? Serendipity’s worked out for us so far, hasn’t it? But I’d rather have something more concrete this time because everyone has something they want. We’re not wandering and searching anymore, we have a destination now.”   
  
“A destination, hmm?” he drawled lazily.  
  
James nodded. “It has to be perfect; one that fits everyone’s needs and wants. To be honest, I originally thought I’d just be looking around for a bunch of people to follow me around and location wouldn’t be that big of an issue.”  
  
“But instead?”  
  
“But instead, I seem to have found myself a family, Leonard.” Those blue eyes were practically sparkling. “If I don’t find a place that suits everyone then that means I didn’t do my part. I made them all promises. I promised Nyota and Spock a safe place to start a family, Sulu and Chekov a place near water, and Scotty a place large enough for him to build and test his inventions. And as for you,” he smiled, “what would make you happy, doc? What if we name the place  _Port McCoy_?”  
  
The doctor frowned. “What? You’re going to name the damn town after me? Please don’t.”  
  
Blue eyes blinked. “Why not? My old man built my mother a house, so why can’t I one up him and build you a town?”  
  
“Thanks but no thanks. I’m a doctor, not a port. The last thing I want to hear is how people died from scurvy and dysentery after arriving at  _Port McCoy_. I can see them now: people lining up with their teeth falling out and bleeding gums. How’s  _that_ for a warm welcome?”   
  
James laughed. “You always say the most romantic things, Leonard. Way to turn my greatest gesture of admiration into an atrocity. So what  _would_  you like then?”  
  
Leonard chewed on his lower lip in thought for a moment. “Just give me a clinic and patients and I’ll be peachy keen.”  
  
“You’re too modest. People will come flocking to you for help no matter where you are and you’ll end up helping them whether you have a clinic or not.” Crossing his arms for a moment, James sighed in mock-exasperation. “Since I’m responsible for you, I guess I’ll just have to step in for you. Let’s see…a big clinic with the best equipment, somewhere warm all year round, and close enough to Georgia that Joanna and everyone from Atlanta can visit you.”  
  
The doctor raised a brow. “James….”  
  
The blond shrugged. “You’ll need to rush back to Joanna’s side to defend her honour when the time comes. So let’s head back to the east. What else would make you happy, Leonard? Oh! I can promise you that there’ll be no stairs. How does that sound?”  
  
By then, they had reached Scotty’s place and the brunet pointed out, “You’re forgetting something very important, Just James.”  
  
James frowned, clearly trying to think of the answer. After a minute, he shook his head and conceded, “I give up. What’d I miss? Alcohol? Cobblers? A new bed? Nurses-”  
  
Leonard leaned in and kissed the blond, and then he stepped back to watch James’ reaction.   
  
“Oh.” Widened blue eyes blinked a couple times before he broke into a grin and wrapped his arms around the doctor’s waist, pulling him in close. “ _Oh_ , you meant  _that_. I wouldn’t worry about that, Leonard. You’ll have that for as long as you’d like. I promise.”  
  
\--  
  
They were passing through Montana when everything went wrong.  
  
It was in a small town that they came across a group of thugs, attacking a man in the middle of the streets. The people who were on the street at the time merely averted their eyes sheepishly and hurried into the nearest store. Although they should’ve noticed and taken it as a sign to take a detour, they were too distracted by what was happening to care.   
  
Leonard and James hopped off their horses and called out to the men, “Hey there, fellas, don’t you think that’s quite enough?”  
  
The whole town suddenly went eerily silent.  
  
One man, probably the leader of the group, looked up and sneered. “What’s it to you?” Then taking a glance at their group, he stood up and narrowed his eyes. “Well, would you look at what we have here?”  
  
James tensed uneasily. “I suggest you boys back off before things get ugly.”  
  
“Oh, is that right?” Gesturing to his men, the group stepped away from the prone man. “That sounds more like a challenge to me. Hey boys, these guys obviously need to be taught a lesson about picking fights with the Romulans.”  
  
Without another word, Leonard ran over to assess the damage. When he determined that none of the man’s injuries were life-threatening, he turned back only to find everyone fighting and they were clearly outnumbered. Frowning, he made his way towards Uhura’s horse where her gun was. On his way there, someone placed a hand on his shoulder. “And where do you think you’re going?”   
  
Pain exploded and for a moment, he could’ve sworn he saw stars dancing across his vision. Scowling, he turned around and returned the favour only to cradle his fist afterwards, cussing loudly. “Jesus, that fucking hurt!”  
  
A moment later, he was tackled to the floor and struggled to free himself from his assailant’s grasp. Leonard could only let out a sharp exhale of relief when James pulled the man off of him with a scowl. “Filthy  _bastard_  – you’re not supposed to attack a doctor like that!”  
  
Wasting no time, the brunet got up and continued with his original goal. Finally reaching the horse and the rifle, he cocked it and yelled as loudly as he could, “ _Stop or I’ll blow your heads off!_ ”  
  
Everyone stopped and stared at him in shock.  
  
Wiping the blood from his nose, the leader of the group detached himself from James and stood back with a scowl. “You’re really going to pull the trigger on your fellow men?”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes and took aim. “My  _‘fellow men’_  don’t go around attacking innocent people. Now you and your boys better get going before I show you just how fast a man can die when shot in the right place.”  
  
“Brave one, aren’t you? Fine, we’ll leave for now.” The man straightened his out his jacket and caught his breath. He gestured for his men to gather. “Don’t think this is over though. You have no idea who you’re messing with,” he hissed, sending a glare to James and the doctor.  
  
It wasn’t until after the group had gone that the brunet lowered the gun with a relieved sigh. Assessing the damage done with a quick scan, he asked, “Is everyone alright?”  
  
Catching their breaths, everyone nodded. James glanced over at where the prone man had been a moment ago. “Looks like your patient ran away, Leonard.”  
  
The doctor shook his head. “That’s fine. If he was able to get up and run away then his injuries obviously weren’t that bad. Jesus, just look at how roughed up you kids got.”  
  
James let out a soft laugh. “You should see yourself, doc.”  
  
Just then, one of the townsmen stepped back outside and told them, fear evident in his voice, “You guys need to leave town now – as fast as you can before Nero hears about this. If he catches you here, his gang will burn down the whole town.”  
  
It was a warning, not a threat.  
  
Sensing the seriousness of the situation, James made his way to his horse with a frown on his lips. “Come on guys, let’s get going. You can treat our injuries later, Leonard.”


	9. Chapter 9 & Epilogue

Chapter 9:  
  
That night, for the first time since the start of their journey, they set up a night watch. During his shift, Leonard sat by the fire with James by his side. The blond was idly cradling Uhura’s rifle and staring off into space, lost in thought. The silence felt heavy as the fire crackled and danced around, searching for more wood to consume.   
  
“Leonard? We did the right thing today, right?” James asked quietly.  
  
The doctor nodded. “They would’ve killed that man if we didn’t step in. We both know that.” Reaching over, he ruffled the other’s hair. “Yeah, we did the right thing.”  
  
There was more silence after that. Leonard was glad that the blond didn’t ask if the man’s life was worth all the trouble they went through and were going to face in the future because he didn’t have an answer to that.  
  
After a minute, James broke the silence again with a soft huff. “There should be a law against hitting doctors and women.”  
  
The brunet scoffed. “No one should ever raise a hand against a lady. Wait, why am I being lumped in the same group as women?”   
  
“Right. Sorry about that. Nyota definitely held her own today. She didn’t even flinch when that guy made a run for her. I swear, she’s probably the toughest person we have in our group. So let me rephrase what I just said: there should be a law against hitting  _doctors_ ,” James corrected himself with a teasing smirk.  
  
“Thanks for that.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t deny Uhura’s amazing (and superior) capabilities when it came to fighting, so he changed the subject. “I think there should be a law against violence in general. And another one against you getting hit in the face.”  
  
“I’d drink to that.” The blond raised an invisible glass in toast. “But to be fair,  _everyone_  got hit in the face today – yourself included, doc.” Reaching over to lightly trace the bruise on Leonard’s cheek, he smiled. “Those bruises make you look very rugged though.”  
  
Leonard rolled his eyes and drawled sarcastically, “That’s  _exactly_  what I was going for. Thanks for noticing.”  
  
James laughed softly. “For a guy from the south, you sure suck at fighting.”  
  
The doctor scowled. “Yeah, well, for a kid from Iowa, you sure need to shut up. I’m a doctor, not a thug.”  
  
The blond nodded in agreement. “And thank god for that. You’d make the worst thug in the world, trying to fix up your victims afterwards and whatnot. You managed to land a pretty solid punch though. It looked like you broke that guy’s nose back there.”  
  
Looking down at the bruises on his knuckles, Leonard huffed. “Good. I hope I’ll never have to do anything like that again. I’m pretty sure I nearly broke my hand on his face. It was bad enough having to threaten them with a gun.”  
  
Blue eyes studied him for a moment. “You wouldn’t have actually pulled the trigger, would you?”  
  
The brunet shrugged, unable to deny the possibility of it happening. “I don’t think so, but I couldn’t say for sure. It’s the last thing I’d  _want_  to do.”  
  
“Leonard….”  
  
“What, James?”  
  
The blond leaned in and kissed him.  
  
And Leonard understood.

He could practically  _taste_  the fear and anxiety that radiated from the blond. Try as he might, James couldn’t hide the fact that a part of him regretted stepping in to help the man. And to be perfectly honest, Leonard felt the same way.   
  
It felt like the beginning of the end.  
  
Reaching over to lace their fingers together, he muttered, “It was the right thing to do. You better not be thinking of doing anything stupid. We’ll be fine, you idiot.”  
  
“Yeah?” James asked uncertainly. “How can you tell?”  
  
“Because you always have the dumbest luck.” Then after a pause, he added, “And because you promised to build me an entire town from the ground up.”  
  
What he had wanted to say was  _‘And because you promised me forever.’_  
  
With a knowing look, James smiled softly and squeezed his hand back. “Yeah. I did promise you that, didn’t I?”  
  
\--  
  
The attack came the next night, after they set up camp in the mountains. Keenser woke up and began growling in the middle of the night. Exchanging concerned glances, Leonard immediately went and woke the others up while James climbed up a tree to locate their assailants. The blond climbed back down with a worried look on his face. Seeing him, Leonard frowned and asked, “They’re that close? Shit, we don’t have time to get our horses, do we?”  
  
James nodded and let out a whistle to beckon his Enterprise, which he never tied up. Blue eyes, lit by the moonlight, looked over at them seriously. “To the woods, hurry! And everyone, try to stick together!”  
  
Leonard was about to take off with the others when he noticed that the blond and his horse remained. “What the fuck are you doing!? Dammit, James! Whatever you’re thinking right now, the answer is  _no_ , don’t you  _fucking_  dare!”  
  
Climbing onto his horse with Uhura’s rifle in hand and Keenser by his side, James shook his head with a determined expression on his face. “I’ll lead them away and buy you guys some time. Don’t worry. I’ll come get you when it’s all over.” Then looking up, he called out, voice unusually authoritative, “Scotty, get him somewhere safe.”   
  
Hazel eyes widened when the Scotsman began tugging him away. “What!? Let go of me, Scotty!”  
  
The engineer shot him a rueful look. “I’m sorry doctor, I cannae do that. I gave him my word. Keenser’s a good dog, he’ll keep the lad safe.”   
  
Looking back at the blond desperately as he was pulled away, the doctor shook his head in disbelief. “What the fuck are you thinking!? I’ll never forgive you if you go through with this, James! Say something, you bastard!”  
  
James looked straight at him with those earnest blue eyes and spoke quietly, “I love you, Leonard.”  
  
It felt like time stopped for a moment.   
  
Inhaling sharply, Leonard could feel his eyes stinging with tears as he did his best to scowl. “Fuck you, Just James! You can’t say things like that at times like this!” Then with tears spilling over, he yelled, “I fucking love you too, you  _fucking asshole_!”  
  
The blond’s eyes lit up as his lips curled into the most beautiful and heart-wrenching smile the doctor had ever seen. Then kicking his horse into action, he rode off.  
  
And that was the last time Leonard saw Just James.  
  
  
There was no telling how far they ran but he could hear shots in the distance. Praying that James was the one doing the firing, he kept running. Through misty eyes, he tried his best to keep track of where the rest of the group was. He was breathing so hard and his heart beating so loudly that he almost missed the sound of their pursuers.   
  
They came skittering to a halt when the sound of horses neared. And for the first time in his life, Leonard wished he invested in a gun. Then a voice called out from seemingly all directions, “Found them!”  
  
Hazel eyes widened fearfully.  
  
The next thing he knew, there was a sharp pain and the world faded to black.  
  
\--  
  
When Leonard came to again, the sun was up and it felt like he just awoke from a bad dream. Looking around, a part of him fully expected to find James asleep and snoring next to him. But instead, he found himself alone and in the middle of a forest. He took a step forward and realized with a start that he had woken up on his feet. Too confused about everything to even begin pondering about falling asleep while standing, he called out, “James? Spock?  _Anybody_?”  
  
Turning around to survey his surroundings, he ended up staring at the tree he was standing in front of for a full minute. There was dried blood splattered on the bark and an obvious bullet hole. Reaching out to trace the hole, Leonard leapt back in shock when his hand passed through the bark. Widened hazel eyes stared at his shaking hands.   
  
Panic welled up in his chest as he tentatively reached out and tried again, desperately hoping that he was extremely hung-over and hallucinating.  
  
But instead, his hand passed through the entire tree.  
  
Drawing back his hand, he was at a lost for how to react.  
  
Luckily, a familiar voice called out, “Leonard?”  
  
The doctor whirled around, relief flooding through him at the sight of Uhura - young, beautiful Uhura -who stood there, looking as alive as she ever did. “Oh thank god you’re here, Nyota. What in the world happened? Where are we? And why can my hands go through things?”  
  
The singer shot him a sorrowful look. “You don’t remember, Leonard?”  
  
He immediately tensed, briefly remembered the pain to his chest and the world disappearing. Hand resting lightly over where he had been shot, he looked at the woman, horrified. “You’re telling me that it wasn’t just a nightmare? I was shot….” he recalled in a whisper. “We actually died, didn’t we?”

 _'We were hunted down like animals….'_  
  
Uhura nodded.  
  
Eyebrows furrowing, Leonard frowned. “But if we’re dead, then why are we still here?”  
  
“I’m not too certain myself. But Spock believes that the earth and trees gave us refuge.”  
  
Leonard blinked. “Spock said what now?” Then suddenly hopeful, he asked, “Wait, so he’s here as well? What about Sulu and Chekov and Scotty?”  
  
“They’re all nearby,” the singer reassured him. “You’re the one that took me the longest to find.”  
  
He wasn’t surprised to hear that she was the one who managed to remain level-headed enough to go around and locate everyone – to stay calm even in the face of death. He wished he could borrow just a bit of her composure as he tentatively asked, “…and James?”  
  
Uhura paused hesitantly and slowly shook her head. Her voice, usually so light and musical, was heavy with grief and sympathy as she spoke in a half-whisper, “I’m sorry, Leonard.”  
  
Leonard felt his knees buckle and his legs give out from underneath him. He opened his mouth to voice his denial, but no sound came out. It was at the moment, as his heart felt like it was being torn apart into shreds, that he realized they’d lost their ability to shed tears.   
  
He just lost everything and he couldn’t even properly grieve for it all.  
  
He thought about his daughter waiting for his next letter or phone call. He thought about his friends in Atlanta waiting to hear from him. He thought of the last smile James shot him before riding off and the last words they exchanged. He thought of all the things they would never do and would never be.  
  
 _“I love you, Leonard.”_  
  
Unable to cry for his loss, he closed his eyes and did the only thing he could:  
  
He screamed.  
  
\--  
  
Time seemed to pass a lot faster as a tree. Days felt like hours and weeks felt like days.  
  
Leonard spent the next couple months on his own in ‘his tree’ (as strange as it felt, he had no other way to address it), wishing the world would just end or the ground would open up and swallow him whole. Occasionally, the others would walk by and ask after him only to receive a surly reply in return.  
  
He knew he was being immature and unhelpful. After all, he wasn’t the only person that died that night - he wasn’t the only person whose dreams and future were crushed. Just like how he would never treat another patient or open another clinic or see his daughter grow up, Uhura and Spock would never get to start their own family. Sulu and Chekov would never get to see the ocean again, let alone build a boat and sail across it. And Scotty would never get to create again.  
  
But try as he might, he couldn’t find the strength or courage to step out of his tree to face his new reality. So instead, he spent most of his time thinking about James, wondering what happened to him. At times, he hoped that the blond at least managed to bring down the leader - ‘Nero’ - or whatever he was called. Other times, as unlikely as it was, he hoped James survived and went to tell Joanna the news.  
  
At the thought of his daughter, the anger and ‘ _if only’s_ ’ hit him.  
  
If only they didn’t go through that town to get supplies.   
  
If only they never stepped in to help that man then they wouldn’t have gotten into that fight.   
  
If only he never went to work that fateful day three years ago.   
  
If only he never met fucking Just James then his life would’ve never been turned upside down.  
  
If only he never got so attached to the blond then he wouldn’t be hurting so badly now.  
  
\--  
  
It took a long time for him to quench his anger enough to venture out again. He had mixed feelings about Spock being the first person he saw. The Vulcan noticed his presence almost immediately and greeted him, “Hello, doctor. I’m pleased to see that you’re feeling well enough to venture out.”  
  
Leonard pursed his lips for a moment but the decided that maybe the stoic man was the best person for him to talk to when his mind felt like such a mess. He knew he must’ve appeared absolutely  _terrible_  if even  _Spock_  was tiptoeing around him. “Thanks. Look, I’m sorry about my behaviour these past few…however long I’ve been stuck here.”  
  
“It has been 64 days since Nyota last encountered you and informed you of our situation.” Then the Vulcan shook his head. “However, there’s no need to apologize, doctor. It was only logical that given the series of events that took place, you would be hit the hardest – emotionally speaking.”  
  
Frowning, the doctor asked, “What are you talking about? I think we all suffered the same amount of damage. I mean we’re all dead. And Spock – my god, man, you and Nyota were planning on starting a  _family_  and we took that away from you.”  
  
Spock raised a brow. “It is highly illogical for you to use the term ‘we’ seeing as none of the events that transpired were in any way your fault. In this context, I believe the term ‘they’ would be more accurate.”  
  
Leonard was taken aback, unaware that he’d used the wrong pronoun. “You’re right. Sorry. I was just thinking about how if we never stopped to help that man, none of this would’ve happened.” Mentally cursing, he hated how he still referred to himself and James as ‘we’.  
  
“It would’ve been against your nature to simply stand back and watch, doctor. If you or James-” Leonard flinched at the name, “hadn’t stepped in, I am certain Nyota or someone else would have. Our group is not known for its passivity.” The Vulcan sounded almost affectionate when he said that. “And while it is true that Nyota and I had plans of having children, and that it is most unfortunate that we will no longer be able to, I am most grateful for the fact that we are still in each other’s company.”  
  
The brunet couldn’t help but feel impressed by Spock’s maturity and acceptance of their situation. But then, when reminded that the Vulcan still had the love of his life around, the resentment came back and left a bitter taste in his mouth. Leonard was certain that if James hadn’t run off on his own and got stuck in a tree with the rest of them instead, he would’ve been just peachy keen with the whole situation. It annoyed him that it was still his second nature to think about the blond.  
  
Spock studied him closely for a moment. “It would appear, doctor, that you’re still grieving for-”  
  
“I’m not grieving for anyone,” Leonard snapped. “And don’t even  _say_  his name. I’m just pissed off at  _everything_  right now.”  
  
Dipping his head slightly, Spock explained, “I was instructed not to challenge your statements, no matter how illogical they may be.”  
  
“ _Thanks_.” Not wanting to fuel his rage any further after he  _just_  managed to quell it, the doctor scowled and changed the subject. “Just how long are we going to be stuck like this anyways? I’m supposed to be a doctor, not a tree!”  
  
The Vulcan shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that.”  
  
“God, I hate this,” he muttered. The ‘this’ he spoke of meant so much more.  
  
What he meant was that he hated how the blond promised him forever and then left him behind – and he couldn’t even cry about it because life was such a  _bitch_.  
  
Then a voice interrupted his thoughts. “Doctor! You’re up! Are you feeling better?”  
  
Snapping out of his reverie, Leonard blinked and turned around to find Chekov walking over to him, a relieved look on his face. Not wanting to snap at the poor boy, he shrugged. “Yeah, somewhat, I guess.”  
  
The teenager smiled, bright and innocent. And in the back of his mind, the doctor realized that they would probably never age and that Chekov would forever remain a 17 year old boy. The Russian nodded to himself. “I am very glad. We’ve all been very worried about you, doctor. Perhaps I should go get Hikaru and tell him this good news.”  
  
Standing there, speechless, the doctor merely looked to Spock for help. The Vulcan dipped his head. “Seeing as Doctor McCoy’s emotional state has improved, perhaps it would be wise to gather everyone for further ‘moral support.’”

 _'Oh….'_  
  
A wave of guilt hit Leonard when he realized that he wasn’t alone at all.   
  
The only person who was on his own now was James.  
  
\--  
  
When Leonard was informed that eight years had gone by, he felt the pieces of his heart that he had flimsily glued together with his anger fall apart. Unsure of what to do, he quickly retreated into the safety of his tree.  
  
 _“Can’t you just picture it now? Just James and Doctor McCoy riding to the rescue of Joanna – and when that time comes, I’ll be Just James with a capital J.”_  
  
He didn’t emerge from there for the next two years.  
  
\--  
  
It took over a decade for the anger to completely melt away.  
  
Leonard awoke one day from a beautiful dream of soft caresses and whispered sweet nothings. Feeling more heartbroken than before, he began looking past the anger and blame to see why his heart stung so much. And the answer he found was so simple:  
  
He missed James.  
  
The answer was so simple but there was no way to solve the problem. Thinking back, Leonard realized that he had been trying to push aside all his memories in favour of nursing his anger. With the rage subsided, tentatively, he thought about Just James and everything he would never see or hear again.  
  
The memories hit him like a ton a bricks–  
  
 _“My name is James, just James.”_  
  
Those blue, blue eyes that lit up whenever they saw him.  
  
 _“I think I like you, doc. We could be good friends, you and me.”_  
  
That easy smile that widened when directed at him.  
  
 _ _“I was serious when I said I was going to worship you forever.”__  
  
Those knowing kisses and caresses that chased away his nightmares.  
  
 _“So how about it, Doctor McCoy? Do I have your permission to take you on a new adventure?”_  
  
That voice that promised him everything he ever wanted and more.  
  
 _“I was just thinking about how glad I am that you’re here.”_  
  
The way his name was said with all the affection and admiration in the world.  
  
 _“Nothing’s ever going to happen to you as long as I’m around.”_  
  
Those arms around his waist.  
  
 _“If I could, I’d give you the world.”_  
  
The whispered sweet nothings.  
  
 _“If you’ll still have me, I promise I’ll be there with you.”_  
  
Those lingering touches and dreams for the future.  
  
 _“I’ll come get you when it’s all over.”_  
  
All the things that were so distinctly Just James.  
  
 _“I love you, Leonard.”_  
  
Choking back a dry sob, Leonard squeezed his eyes shut and wished for the world to end.  
  
  
A few days later, Uhura found the doctor curled up by his tree. Worried, she sat down next to him.   
  
The two of them sat in silence until Leonard finally couldn’t take it anymore and blurted out, “I wish we never helped that man.”   
  
The singer studied him with sympathetic eyes. “You don’t mean that.”  
  
He didn’t.   
  
“I…it wasn’t worth the price we paid. I just wish-” Fumbling for the right words, he muttered, “I should’ve latched onto him that night and dragged him with us. I should’ve never let him go off on his own like that. I should’ve been by his side. I should’ve been there to  _fix him_.”  
  
Uhura wrapped her arms around her knees. “James would’ve never let you. He loved you so much…it would’ve destroyed him to see you get hurt, let alone this. You know this as well as I do, Leonard. His mind was made up.”  
  
For the first time since dying, he didn’t flinch at the mention of James’ name. Resigned, he admitted quietly, “I just miss him, Nyota. God, I miss him so much.”  
  
“I know, Leonard. I miss him too.”  
  
\--  
  
Leonard had long since lost track of the days and months as they went whirling by, but he knew it was fall. The trees were becoming bare and the ground was covered in freshly fallen leaves. The six of them were standing around and chatting idly when a deer walked by. It looked up at them in surprised for a long moment before giving an unconcerned snort and walking away.  
  
Sulu frowned. “We just got dismissed by a deer. I think that’s an all time low.”  
  
Chekov laughed. “That’s still better than having squirrels running around on your branches.”  
  
“Those rodents are nothing but pests. What good do they do the world anyways? All they do is scurry around and eat,” the Asian complained. “I think they should just make like dodos and go extinct.”  
  
“On the contrary, Mr. Sulu, I believe they are a necessity to the forest. Logically speaking, without them, many predators would die off due to starvation,” Spock pointed out.   
  
Scotty nodded. “It’s true. And have you ever had squirrel soup, lad? It’s actually quite delicious.”  
  
Uhura made a disgusted expression. “Squirrel soup? I’ve eaten gator meat, but not squirrel meat.”  
  
They heard a huff and watched as the buck walk past them again, eyeing them warily and trying its best to remain dignified as it walked the other way.  
  
The Scotsman snorted in amusement. “Looks like he went the wrong way.”  
  
Suddenly, Leonard began laughing to himself. “Jesus, it got lost in a forest? It actually got lost in a forest? How the hell did one of these things manage to nearly kill James? They’re so damn stupid they can’t even navigate through their natural habitat! God, only James could’ve made one of these things look dangerous.”  
  
Encouragingly, the woman chuckled and added, “It probably wanted to punch him in the face.”  
  
The doctor’s shoulders shaking from suppressed laughter. “Knowing Just James, that’s probably  _exactly_  what it wanted to do.”  
  
Chekov watched him with curious eyes. “What is this story about Mr. James and a deer? He’s never told me this one before.”  
  
Leonard snorted. “I can’t say I’m surprised. Nearly skewered by a damn deer of all things….” Rolling his eyes at the memory, he turned to the teenager with a slow smile. “You want to hear the story? Well, alright. This happened while we were staying with the Vulcans. For some reason, they thought it’d be a good idea to take James with them on their hunt…”  
  
\--

 

Epilogue:  
  
It was a beautiful summer day.   
  
The sun was bright, the sky was free of clouds, and Leonard was idly strolling around, enjoying the breeze that rustled through the leaves of his tree. When he neared the bottom of the hill, a small figure suddenly went flying over the top and then went tumbling down.   
  
Eyes widening, he instinctively ran over to the child and looked down. The doctor’s brows furrowed in concern. “My god, kid! You just came barrelling out of nowhere! Are you alright?” Then he noticed that the blond’s face was scrunched up in pain and he was gasping for air. Frowning, he instructed, “Stop wheezing like that, it’s not going to help anyone. Just calm down and take deep breaths. Come on now, one breath at a time. Breathe in and out. That’s good. In and out.”  
  
After the boy slowed down his breathing, he sat up to survey the damage he suffered with a wince. Flexing his hands in front of him, the blond gave a sniffle. “Ow…”  
  
Leonard couldn’t help but roll his eyes and huff crossly at the child. “Ow is right. Are you out of your inchoate mind? Wait, don’t answer that. No sane person would’ve thrown themselves down a hill like that. Look at yourself, you’re a mess! But on the bright side, it doesn’t look like anything’s broken.” He couldn’t help but add, “Do have a death wish, kid!?”  
  
When the child looked up at him, the doctor felt himself freeze at the sight of those blue, blue eyes. The boy attempted to scowl though it looked more like a pout in Leonard’s eyes. “If you must know, I didn’t throw myself down on purpose. It was an  _accident_. I was running up the hill and didn’t know it’d suddenly end like that. Who are you anyways, mister?”  
  
The doctor paused, trying to find an appropriate response.  
  
In the back of his head, all he could hear was James laughing happily.  
  
 _“Hey Leonard, do you believe in serendipity?”_  
  
Swallowing thickly, he replied, “McCoy, Leonard McCoy. You can just call me Leonard if you want. So can you get up, kid?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it!


End file.
